Tenchi Goes to Nerima
by MoonstoneCabbit
Summary: A post-OVA III crossover with Ranma1/2 in which Tenchi will be going to Furinkan High with Ranma and company.
1. Chapter 1

Tenchi Goes to Nerima

A post-OVA III crossover with "Ranma ½" in which Tenchi will go to Furinkan High with Ranma Saotome and company. If you don't like the concept, don't bother reading it. It starts out slow but I intend to have some action and at least a little humor in the chapters to come.

Standard disclaimer: I don't own these characters and I'm not doing this for profit.

Chapter I

Changes to Come

It was early morning in Okayama and a thick mist was rising from the mountains surrounding the Masaki shrine. The stillness of the morning was disturbed by a series of loud rapping noises which might have been mistaken, by the uninitiated, for the sound of woodpeckers hammering on hollow, tree branches. In reality it was the sound of a boken striking a small piece of wood, dangling froma string, at a speed no ordinary human could see or match. Of course, Tenchi Masaki was far from ordinary.

The teenager, dressed in a blue kendo jacket, bluejeans and slip on shoes, jumped about in a small clearing, maintaining his footing on more than a dozen short, wet with dew, wooden posts set haphazardly in the ground as his grandfather, wearing a similar jacket and hakame with the sleeves and legs bound, sat and watched for any mistakes in his form. After more than a year of practice, it had become almost effortless for him to keep from falling off the slippery posts as he struck the small target. Suddenly, a branch came falling towards him from the trees, and as he nimbly dodged away, Tenchi smiled and thought, "Grandpa's up to his old tricks again. I wonder if he's got any more traps set up."

The practice session continued without any more surprises and Yosho finally called out, "That's enough for now Tenchi. You did quite well. Put your boken away and start your chores."

Tenchi was very surprised not only by the unexpected praise but because there had only been one other time that his grandfather had ended practice early. He walked over to his teacher and asked, "Are you alright Grandpa? Why are we stopping already?"

"I have some matters to attend to in town today," Yosho replied. "But you can practice the kata I showed you yesterday. I'll expect you to have it mastered by tomorrow morning. Now get going." With that the elderly seeming gentleman rose and proceeded to walk along the path that would take him back to the Masaki Shrine.

Tenchi sighed as he followed his grandfather. "I should have known that he wouldn't give me a break," he thought.

Later that morning Yosho got off the bus in Kurashiki and walked along the busy streets. He stopped occasionally to exchange greetings and make small talk with friends and acquaintances as he proceeded along the streets of a residential area. Finally he arrived at a large house of recent construction surrounded by a high wall and rang the bell.

After a few moments the door was opened by a woman with short black hair and glasses wearing a long sleeved, white blouse and a dark blue, A-line skirt. "Katsuhito-sama!" Rea exclaimed. "We've been expecting you. Come in."

After removing his shoes, Katsuhito went into the living room where Tenchi's father, Nobuyuki, dressed in a dark brown suit, greeted him warmly while Rea went into the kitchen to prepare tea. The men sat and exchanged small talk until Rea returned with a tray laden with tea and snacks.

After pouring tea for them, Rea asked, "How are Tenchi and the girls doing? Nobuyuki and I have been so busy with a number of projects that we haven't had a chance to visit them since our wedding."

"Everyone is fine, of course," Yosho replied. "Nothing much has changed. Aeka and Ryoko still fight occasionally and Mihoshi still manages to flood the house when she lands poorly. Tenchi and Washu are both kept pretty busy repairing the damage. Tenchi is still growing out of his clothes. He may yet get to be taller than you, Nobuyuki. And of course, Sasami is growing like a weed. She's been enrolled in school and is doing very well."

"That's good," said Tenchi's father, "But I'm sure you didn't come all the way here just to have some of Rea's excellent tea. What's the real reason you're here?"

Yosho put his cup down and said, "It's come to my attention that you're currently working on a number of projects in Tokyo and that you're considering moving there, temporarily, in order to facilitate matters."

"Yes," agreed Nobuyuki. "One firm in particular constantly wants me to attend meetings to go over changes for their new office building. Now they've decided that they want two more floors added which means that the framework will have to be strengthened to accommodate the extra load. There are a number of other changes that will have to be made as well. And of course, all the materials and cost calculations will need to be redone. I just hope they won't decide to make any major changes once construction starts. As a result, we haven't had much time to spend looking for a suitable place to stay. The housing market is very tight in Tokyo and as soon as a place comes on the market it's gone. Does your visit have anything to do with our plans to move there?"

"It does indeed," Yosho confirmed. "I recently purchased a house in Tokyo that should suit your needs quite well. You can stay there for free if you want. It just needs some minor repairs to make it habitable."

"That sounds too good to be true," replied a wary Nobuyuki. "What's the catch?"

"I think it would be good for Tenchi to go with you and attend a school in that area. He's been too isolated from things here and needs experience dealing with difficult situations and people before he goes to the Galaxy Academy," Yosho said. "The school I want him to enroll in, Furinkan High, has a number of skilled martial artists in attendance who practice some very novel forms. There's also been a high incidence of bizarre occurrences in the area. Tenchi has been letting people push him around because he doesn't want to hurt anyone or attract attention to himself. He's going to get a lot of attention at the academy simply because of his reputation, and he needs to learn how to deal with it."

"The girls aren't going to like that one bit!" exclaimed Rea.

"You're right about that," Nobuyuki agreed. "And I've heard about the area where Furinkan High is. A week doesn't go by without some sort of disaster occurring there. But, I agree that it will be good for Tenchi to have a little more experience before leaving Earth for the academy."

"Good. I'll make the arrangements then. It should only take about two or three weeks before you can move in," said Yosho. He finished his tea and told Nobuyuki some more about the house and then he took his leave.

Ten days later, Yosho made a rare appearance at Tenchi's home for supper. Almost everyone was nervous and wondered what was going on. Tenchi was especially on edge because his grandfather had the same look on his face that he did when he told Ryoko about the time he asked Rea to marry him when he was nine. He knew that he was in for a lot of trouble.

The meal continued quietly until Yosho finished his last cup of tea and set it down. He then cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, looked straight at Tenchi, and said, "Tenchi, your father and Rea will be moving to Tokyo for a time to work on some projects there. They'll be leaving Saturday morning. You'll be going with them and attending school there."

"WHAT!" Aeka and Ryoko both screamed.

"Why does Tenchi have to go to Tokyo?" Ryoko asked loudly. "It's too far away and there's nothing they can teach him that's worth learning anyway."

"Really brother," Aeka continued, "Tenchi-sama has been doing quite well studying at home. There's no need for him to leave. Besides, it would interfere with his sword practice if he moved so far away."

"NO!" wailed Sasami. "I don't want Tenchi-niichan to move away." Then she started to cry and was joined by both Mihoshi and Ryo-oki.

Washu and Noike were the only ones who didn't voice any objections but the frowns on their faces spoke volumes.

Tenchi was finally able to ask over the noise of crying and arguing, "Why do you want me to go to Tokyo? I've been doing well studying at home and I won't be able to do my chores or train with you if I go so far away. Also, I think that you should have at least asked me if I wanted to go, first."

"The arrangements have already been made," Yosho said firmly. "You've already been enrolled in a school not far from where you'll be staying with Nobuyuki and Rea. It will do you good to interact more with young people your own age."

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" several voices yelled angrily, and the arguing continued for a few more minutes.

"QUIET!" Washu finally shouted. "If Yosho-dono has decided, for whatever reason, that Tenchi-dono should go to school in Tokyo, then we'll just have to deal with it. In fact, it would be very simple for me to set up a portal to make it easier for Tenchi-dono to come back here for weekends and such."

"I still don't like it," Ryoko said angrily.

"Well, now that that's settled, I'll take my leave. Good night everyone." Yosho said as he got up from the table and headed for the back door.

"Good night Grandpa," Tenchi said and prepared to deal with the sullen, faced girls who were gathering around him.

Later that night, Aeka and Ryoko sat in the mezzanine at the top of the stairs to share sake and plot.

"Your brother has really done it this time, princess," Ryoko grumbled. "Why doesn't he just mind his own business?"

Aeka took a sip of her sake and replied, "He considers Tenchi-sama to be his business. I believe that he wants Tenchi-sama to get used to new situations before he goes to the Galaxy Academy."

"Why?" Ryoko demanded. Then she drained her saucer and set it down with a loud thunk.

"According to what Noike-san and Tennyo-san have told me, word has gotten around the academy about Tenchi-sama defeating that pink-haired fool, Seiryo Tennan."

"So? What's that got to do with Tenchi going to school in Tokyo?" Ryoko asked.

Aeka took another sip of her sake and replied, "Aside from being a fool, Seiryo is one of the most skilled swordsmen in the galaxy. He's also an instructor at the academy. There are a lot of rumors going around there about the man who defeated him and he'll get a lot of attention when he goes there."

"Tenchi doesn't have to go to the academy. He should just stay here with me," Ryoko insisted.

Aeka gave Ryoko a hard look and asked, "Do you really think Tenchi-sama wants to spend his whole life farming and doing chores for my brother when he has the opportunity to see the galaxy?" She sighed in resignation and continued, "If Tenchi-sama is willing to go, there's not much we can do about it except to be on our best behavior when he's here."

"All right, I'll behave when Tenchi is here." Ryoko agreed. "But when he's not, the fighting goes on as usual. Otherwise, things would get pretty dull around here without Tenchi.

"You could help with some more with chores, Ryoko." Aeka responded.

Meanwhile, Tenchi was in bed wondering what was in store for him in Tokyo. "I just know Grandpa is doing this to make my life more complicated," he thought. "There have been reports on the news about strange things happening in Tokyo and something tells me that I'm going to wind up in the thick of it. It would be nice if I could spend more time with Dad though. But even before the girls showed up, he would often be too busy to talk with me much. Oh well, I'll find out soon enough." Tenchi continued to think about the changes in store for him until he drifted off to sleep.

Author's notes: I've seen too many identity-theft crossovers in which Tenchi Masaki was written out of his own story by people who wanted a sueified Ranma to become him in everything but name. I wouldn't have become so annoyed with Ranma crossovers, in general, if they hadn't so frequently portrayed the TM characters, despite all their abilities, as inferior fighters so that Ranma could be the invincible hero who saves the day single handed. It sounds like I'm talking about S.I. takeovers, doesn't it?

This story is based primarily on "Tenchi Muyo", "Tenchi Muyo GXP", a little bit of the Tenchi manga and the "Ranma 1/2" manga.


	2. Chapter 2

Tenchi Goes to Nerima

Standard disclaimer: I don't own these charactersRATS!

If you've stuck with me so far, you should know that the Nerima mayhem takes a while to get started. I do think it's important to set the stage, as it were. Akane Tendo won't get mad at Ranma for "no reason" and mallet him two hundred miles to the Masaki Shrine.

Chapter II Settling In

It was early Saturday morning. Breakfast, which had been a somber affair punctuated by sniffles, had just ended and Tenchi, wearing jeans and a dark blue sweater, was sitting in the living room along with his housemates. His bags were packed and ready to go. He looked around at the girls, dressed in their prettiest clothes, who had become such an important part of his family and felt a lump form in his throat as he realized how much he would miss them. None of the girls looked happy; in fact most looked ready to cry. The one who made him feel nervous though, was Washu. She had a look in her eyes that always meant trouble for someone; usually him. The doorbell rang and he rose to answer it.

Nobuyuki came in, smiling nervously, followed by Rea carrying a large box. Both were dressed casually. Rea smiled and said, "I thought that you girls might not feel like cooking today, so I brought you some snacks to eat."

"Oh!" exclaimed Mihoshi. "What did you bring?"

"Just some Anpans, onigiri and uiroo," Rea replied.

"Great! I can't wait," Mihoshi said as she reached for the box.

"Mihoshi! We just finished breakfast," Noike said in an annoyed voice. "Wait until lunch to start eating again."

Aeka stepped forward, bowed and said "Thank you Rea-san. It was very thoughtful of you. I'll take your gift to the kitchen for now," she continued as she took the box.

"Well, we had better get going now. We have a long drive ahead of us. I'll help you with your bags, Tenchi," Nobuyuki said as he reached for one of the suitcases.

"I can make your trip a lot shorter," said Washu as her computer appeared in front of her.

"How?" asked Tenchi suspiciously.

"I'm going to open a portal from here to the inside of a tunnel not far from where you'll be staying in Tokyo," Washu replied. "This early on Saturday there's not much traffic. I'll make sure to do it so that no one's around to see you appear."

"That would be great," Nobuyuki said eagerly. "That will give us plenty of time to get settled in and then pick up some school uniforms and other supplies. We'll also have a chance to check out the neighborhood."

"All right then," Washu said. "I've located a tunnel from which it will only take you about fifteen minutes to get to your new home and here are the directions," she continued as she handed Tenchi a sheet of paper.

"Thank you Washu-chan," Tenchi said with a bow and picked up the last of his things.

Everyone went outside, loaded the luggage into the van, hugged and said goodbye. Then Nobuyuki and Rea got into the front seat and Tenchi got into the back seat. A portal appeared and just before the van drove into it, Ryoko phased through the van, sat on Tenchi's lap, and gave him a quick, firm kiss on the lips. Then she smiled and said, "Just something to remember me by." Then she vanished before a stunned Tenchi could react.

Nobuyuki and Rea just laughed as the van disappeared into the portal.

The van exited the portal into a tunnel. Just as Washu had promised, there were no other people or vehicles in sight.

"That was quite a send off you got there, wasn't it Tenchi," Nobuyuki asked and continued laughing.

Tenchi shook his head to clear it and said, "Yeah. I just hope a fight doesn't start because of it."

"I wouldn't be the first fight and it won't be the last fight," Nobuyuki replied. "They never hurt each other very much and the house can be repaired. Anyway, are you looking forward to starting school here?"

"Sort of," Tenchi replied. "I'm looking forward to being able to use the toilet and take a bath without anyone barging in on me more though."

"Oh!" Rea interjected, "I think you're supposed to take the next right. You'd better change lanes."

"Thanks dear," Nobuyuki said as he quickly made the turn.

They continued to drive until they reached a quiet residential area. Most of the houses were surrounded by walls, many of which had holes and other damage. When they got to the right address, Nobuyuki pressed a control to open a large gate and they drove inside. Then Tenchi got a look at his new home. It was a medium sized, two story, white house with a red tile roof of traditional design that showed obvious signs of repair.

Tenchi got out of the van and looked around. Then he said, "I hate to complain but this neighborhood seems to be very run down. Is it because of all the weird things that you hear about on the news?"

"Well I don't imagine that things are any weirder here than back in Okayama," Rea said. "Strange things have happened in this area but I'm sure you can handle it."

Tenchi sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I was hoping for a little peace and quiet. You don't know what it's like to be surrounded by brawling girls on a daily basis."

"You should be glad to be so popular," Nobuyuki said happily. "Come on now. Let's get your things inside." With that he opened up the rear hatch and started handing out boxes and bags.

Once everything was brought inside and shoes were removed, Tenchi had a chance to look around. There was a large room just off the front entry with a comfortable western style couch, chairs and a t.v. It also had a traditional style dining area. The kitchen was a cramped rectangle to the rear of the house and next to it was a toilet. Also to the rear of the house was a traditional room with tatami mats and shogi screens that opened onto a small garden.

"Come on," said Rea as she grabbed his arm. "I want to show you your room." She led him back to the entry where a flight of stairs led up to the second floor which had three bedrooms a bath and another toilet. "Your room's very small compared to what you had in Okayama but I tried to make it comfortable for you. She then led him to a bedroom at the rear of the house and slid open the door to reveal a room with a western style bed with a dark blue comforter, a chest of drawers and a desk with a chair. There was also a large window looking out onto the garden and a closet.

"This will be fine. Thanks Rea-san," Tenchi said with a smile. Then he sat down on the bed to try it out.

"Don't get too comfortable now," Rea told him. "We have to go shopping in a few minutes, so you should get your things and put them away first."

"Alright," Tenchi said as he got back up.

Tenchi was walking with his father and Rea and looking for the shop where they could purchase school uniforms when a body came falling from the sky. It landed in a pile of cardboard and Tenchi rushed up to help. The body was that of a boy of about Tenchi's age wearing a green mao suit and cap who quickly got up, rubbed his jaw and dusted himself off.

"Are you alright?" Tenchi asked.

"Yeah," the other boy replied. "Stupid Ryouga. What did he do that for?"

Just then, a pretty girl with short black hair and wearing a blue, flowered dress came rushing up. "Are you alright Ranma?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah," he said again. "It'll take more than a punch from Ryouga to hurt me. "Why'd he do it anyway?"

"Why did he do it?" she asked incredulously. "There we were, having a nice lunch with Ryouga and Akari when you said, 'You sure were lucky to find a girl stupid enough to fall in love with you.' You managed to insult both of them at the same time!"

"Hey! If she had any brains, she would have fallen in love with me," he said. "I am the best looking man in Tokyo after all."

"You are such an arrogant jerk," the girl told him.

"I'm only telling the truth, you un-cute tomboy," the boy, Ranma, replied."

They continued to trade insults as they walked off together.

"Ah, young love," Nobuyuki said with a grin on his face.

"Love?!" Tenchi cried. "They didn't do much besides argue."

"You have a lot to learn about women, son," his father told him.

"So says the man who thinks girls want him to peep at them while they're bathing," Tenchi thought.

Just then, Tenchi's stomach made a loud growling sound, and Rea said, "Maybe we should have something to eat first. What would you two like?

"Tempura!" said Tenchi.

"Sushi!" said Nobuyuki at the same time.

"Maybe we can find a place that has both then," was Rea's diplomatic response.

It took only a short time to find a good sushi bar that also had tempura. They were also given directions to the shop that had school uniforms. So after a quick meal they were off again. It took less than five minutes to find the small shop.

"May I help you?" the middle-aged sales woman asked.

"Yes," said Nobuyuki. "We're looking for some Furinkan High uniforms for my son. He'll be starting there on Monday."

"Furinkan High?" the clerk asked in mild surprise. "Most parents are trying to get their children out of there."

"Why?" asked Tenchi.

"Because of all the fighting that goes on," she said. "Someone from there gets sent to the hospital at least twice a week."

"So that's why Grandpa arranged it," said Tenchi. His suspicions had been confirmed.

"Must not like the boy very much," the woman muttered under her breath as she led them to the right section.

After they had gotten two black jacket's with stand up collars and five pairs of black pants as well as some new shirts Rea asked, "Where can we get some kendo equipment?"

"KENDO?" the clerk nearly shrieked. "You want your son to take kendo at Furinkan?"

"What's wrong with taking kendo at Furinkan," Tenchi asked while wondering if he really wanted to know.

The woman opened her mouth to answer and then thought better of it. Finally she just said, "It's not my place to say." Then she gave them directions and as they left she muttered, "That grandfather must really not like the boy."

When they got to the shop and explained to the owner that they were looking for kendo equipment because Tenchi was joining the kendo club at Furinkan he said, "I can give you the name of a very good doctor."

After they left that shop and were heading for an area with a lot of food stalls, Tenchi said, "This is going to be another one of Grandpa's lessons, isn't it?"

"Tenchi! Do you really think anyone here could pose a serious challenge to you?" his father asked.

"It's not that," Tenchi replied. "It's just that I don't want a lot of attention. When the guys back home found out about Ryoko and the others, they started pestering me to help them get dates with some of them. Kamikura and Ikeda were really angry when I wouldn't 'share.' I just want a little normalcy in my life. Is that too much to ask?"

"I'm sorry, Tenchi," his father told him. "Your mother and I wanted you to have as normal a life as possible. But we knew that eventually we'd have to tell you who and what you are. Your grandfather always said that there was a power inside of you that would set you apart. It's about time you learned to deal with things the way they are, not how you'd like them to be."

"Anyway," Rea added. "What is normal? What's normal to one person can be totally bizarre to another."

"Yeah. I guess so," Tenchi admitted.

Once they arrived at the food stalls, Rea quickly made her purchases and they started back to their new home with arm loads of bags and packages. After a short while Tenchi asked, "Did you see that panda sweeping the sidewalk outside of that chiropractor's office? I didn't think people could keep them as pets. I also didn't think they could be trained to do things like that. Nobody around seemed to pay any attention to it either"

"Maybe it's a shape-shifting alien," Nobuyuki suggested teasingly.

"With my luck, it's here to cause trouble for me," Tenchi said glumly.

Once they arrived back at the house, Rea went into the kitchen and fixed some fried rice with chicken and miso soup. Tenchi helped her bring out the food she'd prepared along with some pickled daikon while Nobuyuki fixed tea. As they were eating Nobuyuki cleared his throat and said, "Tenchi, there's a bit of a surprise we have for you. I hope you'll be happy about it."

"What is it?" Tenchi asked.

"I'm pregnant," Rea said simply.

"Tenchi sat there with a silly grin on his face for a few seconds. Then he said, "Really? You mean I'm going to have a brother or another sister?"

"Yes indeed," his father confirmed. "In about eight months there'll be a new Masaki in the family."

"That's great!" Tenchi said. "Have you picked out any names yet? Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Calm down," Rea told him. "The answer to all your questions is 'no,' at lest not yet. We only just confirmed it a few days ago. We haven't even told anyone else yet."

"Well if there is anything I can do, just let me know, alright?"

"We'll hold you to that when we need a babysitter," his father said.

"Sure," Tenchi said eagerly. "After having to deal with Taro getting into mischief, it should be easy."

Of course Nobuyuki and Rea knew better.

The next morning, after breakfast, Tenchi went out to look for his new school and do some shopping for Rea. He had to jump out of the way when a girl on a bicycle came speeding down the sidewalk without any regard for the people walking there. Later, he had to avoid being trampled by a mob of women, wielding brooms and rakes, who were chasing a tiny man-like creature carrying a large sack. "This is one weird place," he thought.

After he got back to the house and had a quick lunch, Tenchi sat down in the living area. He was chatting with his father and step-mother about school, the expected baby and the strange things he'd seen earlier, when they heard a strange humming noise coming from upstairs. They rushed up to Tenchi's room, which was the source of the strange sounds, and found Washu, with her computer, sitting on a floating pillow in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing in my room?" Tenchi demanded.

"Hi Tenchi-dono," Washu said happily. "I'm just setting up a portal to connect this house to my lab. This will make coming and going much easier."

"Not in my bedroom," Tenchi replied in an irritated voice. "I want a little privacy."

"Why not set it up in the spare bedroom?" Rea suggested.

"Oh, alright," Washu said, "But it's not as convenient." "Spoilsport," she muttered under her breath as she followed the others.

After typing for a short time, Washu's computer vanished and she said, "When one of you opens the closet door and steps inside, you'll be in my lab. The door to the house in Okayama will be right there. It won't work if there are any strangers around. I've also set up a security system to alert you when any intruders are about. Congratulations on the new baby, by the way."

"How did you find out about that?" Tenchi asked.

Washu smiled and said nothing.

"Thank you, Washu-chan," Nobuyuki said. "We were planning to make a general announcement to the family. Would you keep it to yourself until then?"

"Sure, Dad," Washu agreed.

"Thanks," Nobuyuki said. "Would you like to stay and have some tea?"

"I'd love to," she replied and followed them downstairs.

After they finished their tea, Washu stood and said, "I have a little present for you, Tenchi-dono. It's a new laptop of my own design. Although it looks a lot like a top of the line Earth computer, it's much faster, has fifty times the storage capacity and connects instantly to the internet without going through an ISP. It also has security features that will keep anyone else,except me of course, from using it no matter how good they are at hacking. I've also set up some links with sites that will help you with your schoolwork." Then she handed the slim computer with a crab logo on it to Tenchi.

"Thank you very much, Washu-chan," Tenchi said as he accepted it and bowed.

"You're welcome, Tenchi-dono," she replied with a grin. "Although there's a much better way to say thanks." Then she kissed Tenchi on his cheek, said her goodbyes and vanished.

Tenchi got up early for his first day at his new school. As he went downstairs, he could smell something delicious. He went into the kitchen and Rea immediately handed him a plate piled with fish and rice, and a cup of tea. "Good morning, Tenchi-chan. You'd better eat in the dining area," she said.

"Good morning, and thanks," he replied.

Nobuyuki who was just finishing his own breakfast, looked up and said, "Good morning, son. I'm sorry, but Rea and I have a lot of work to do today, so we won't be able to go with you to your new school. I hope that's okay with you."

"Well, I already know where it is, so I won't have any trouble finding it," Tenchi replied as he sat down and began to eat. "I was hoping to get to spend more time with you though."

"If everything goes well at a meeting we have today, I should have plenty of time this evening," Nobuyuki told him.

"That's good," Tenchi said. "Great breakfast, Rea-san," he said to his step-mother as she came to the table with her own breakfast.

"Thank you Tenchi-chan," she said. "I also fixed you a bento box to take with you for lunch. I hope it's enough."

"If it's not, I think there will be some vending machines I can get something else from," Tenchi assured her.

"Oh, we also got you a cell phone. Here," Nobuyuki said as he handed it to Tenchi. "I've already programed it for voice mail and it also has my number and Rea's entered."

"Wow! It looks like I'm all set with everything I should need except my books. Thanks," Tenchi said and put the phone in a pocket.

"Your books should be waiting for you at the school office," his father told him. Remember, Son, you represent the Masaki family. We expect you to do your best in class and at kendo. Don't hold yourself back too much. Got it?"

"I got it," Tenchi replied. Then he finished his breakfast and gathered his things for school. "Bye. Have a nice day," he said as he went out the door.

Tenchi arrived at Furinkan High without incident and went straight to the main office. One of the clerks gave him his books, told him how to get to his classroom and gave him a locker assignment. There were only a few other students there when he arrived and sat down at a desk.

Two other boys immediately came over to him and introduced themselves as Hiro Watanabi and Atsushi Honda.

"Not too many new students come here," Hiro told him. "It's hard for graduates from this school to get into a good university. You should know, by the way, that the principal is a lunatic who tries to give students buzz cuts. He'll be after you for sure."

"Jut because of my pony tail?" Tenchi asked. "Grandpa, you've done it to me again," he thought.

"He also wants us girls to have bowl cuts," a girl with long hair and glasses who introduced herself as Aimi Fujii added.

Just then another boy came rushing in and said, "Did you hear? Our home room teacher won the grand prize in the lottery and quit. We're getting a new teacher, today."

"Well he can't be any worse than our last teacher," Atsushi said.

The buzz of conversation continued as the class filled up with students. Then a voluptuous woman with long, red hair and green eyes came in and Tenchi exclaimed, "Washu-chan!"

"That's Washu-sensei to you Tenchi-kun," she said. "The rest of you can call me Hakubi-sensei." she wrote her name on the blackboard and continued, "I'm going to be your science teacher as well."

The rest of the students kept looking back and forth between Tenchi and Washu with their mouths hanging open.

After taking attendance and making a few announcements, she left to go to another class, and before anyone could ask Tenchi how he knew her, their next teacher came in.

Isamu Sato, a slim middle aged man of medium height, was their algebra teacher. He asked if there were any questions regarding their homework assignments. He then went over a few problems and collected their papers. Then he wrote a problem on the board and told the class to solve it and raise their hands when done.

Tenchi was the first to raise his hand and was instructed to go up and write his solution. "Very good, Sato-sensei said. "You shouldn't have any problems keeping up with this class. Where did you go to school before?"

"I attended Kurashiki West High School in Okayama until it was destroyed in a fire. Since then, I've been continuing my studies at home," Tenchi replied.

"Well, that shows a great deal of self-motivation. Very good indeed." his teacher told him. Then he went over a few more problems, gave out a homework assignment and left.

During the few minutes it took for their next teacher to arrive, Tenchi was bombarded with questions about their new homeroom teacher, and he explained that she was a friend of his family. He also explained that while she was a genius, she was also quite eccentric and sometimes had a weird sense of humor.

Social Studies was next with Kenta Miyake, an elderly man with a bald head, who was so boring that Tenchi almost fell asleep.

Then their next teacher came in. Tenchi was surprised to find that she looked like a child even younger than Sasami. She was Hinako Ninomiya, their English teacher, and everyone called her Hinako-sensei.

She seemed to have a very short attention span and was very animated, but she collected their homework and had the class take turns reading from their text books. Then she gave them a homework assignment. At the end of class, she asked Tenchi to come up to her desk and said, "I looked over your transcript and exam results, Masaki-kun. Why are you attending Furinkan High when you would have been accepted at any school you wanted?"

"My grandfather arranged it," Tenchi replied. "I already plan to attend a college outside of Japan so I won't have any problems getting accepted."

"That's good," she said. Then her stomach rumbled loudly. "Oops, time for lunch." And she rushed out of the room.

Tenchi returned to his seat and took out his lunch which consisted of fried rice with chicken, pickled vegetables and juice. As he was eating he inquired about their English teacher.

He found it very hard to believe what his classmates told him. It seemed that their teacher had been taught a marital arts technique when she was very young that kept her a child both physically and emotionally. She could only assume an adult form by draining people's battle auras. He was also told that she used her ability to keep some of the more disruptive students in line. "Oh well," he thought, "I guess it's not any stranger than Washu and Tsunami being goddesses or Ryo-oki being the main computer unit of a space ship."

Then Atsushi asked him, "Have you signed up for an after school activity yet? I'm in the science club, myself, and we're working on a robot that we're going to enter in a competition. If we do well it'll increase our chances of getting into good universities."

"It sounds interesting," Tenchi replied, "but I'm already signed up for the kendo club." "Here it comes," he thought.

"Kendo!" both Atsushi and Hiro exclaimed. "That's the last club I'd want to join." Hiro continued.

"You know, I've gotten the same reaction from other people. What's wrong with the kendo club?" Tenchi inquired.

"For starters, the captain of the kendo team is an arrogant loon who thinks he's a samurai warrior," Hiro replied. "He's also one of the best fighters in all of Tokyo."

"Well I've dealt with people like him before," Tenchi replied, thinking of some of Aeka's suitors that he'd had to go up against.

"I seriously doubt it," Aimi put in. "He's a real jerk who expects every girl he meets to fall in love with him."

"I wonder if he's the boy I saw falling from the sky on Saturday," Tenchi thought. Then he said, "Arrogant people tend to underestimate their opponents in fights. They often concentrate too much on offense and ignore defense."

"That may be true," Hiro agreed, "but Kuno's offense is pretty spectacular. He's sent a lot of people to the hospital with that boken of his."

The discussion continued until lunch was over and their next teacher, Minoru Inoue, arrived to teach Japanese. The class was currently studying "The Demon of Rasho-mon."

"The story of my life," Tenchi thought.

Tenchi's next class was technical drawing which was in another room. Several of his fellow students went with him.

Next came chemistry, and Tenchi wasn't at all surprised when he found Washu there. Much to his relief, she conducted the class in a normal manner; or as normal as Washu gets.

When school was over, Tenchi's class cleaned their homeroom and then helped pick up litter outside. Once that was done, he went to the room where the kendo club was meeting. There he had his first encounter with Tatewaki Kuno who was wearing a kendo jacket with hakama's.

"So, you wish to join the kendo club? No doubt you've heard of my illustrious reputation and wish to bask in the glory of me, Tatewaki Kuno, also known as Blue Thunder, the rising star of the high school fencing world...

"Oh no," Tenchi thought, "This guy's even worse than Seiryu Tennan. He's mentioned his 'illustrious reputation' at least ten times."

After Kuno finally finished his speech which went on for about ten minutes, Tenchi was able to introduce himself and he then told Kuno that he had been studying sword fighting most of his life.

"I doubt whether you've been trained by a man of my illustrious stature," Kuno replied pompously. "Come, I will show you how a true samurai warrior fights." Then he lunged at Tenchi with his shinai raised for an overhead strike.

Though surprised, Tenchi reacted quickly and sidestepped the attack. "Can you wait until I get my own weapon?" he asked as he continued to avoid Kuno's strikes. Getting no answer, Tenchi finally managed to grab his own shinai.

"He's using so much force that both weapons will break if I try to parry his attacks. I better make this quick," he thought. The next time Kuno lunged at him he sidestepped again and struck his opponent lightly on the neck as he passed. "Hey, I got the point!" Tenchi exclaimed when Kuno continued to attack him.

"It was a fluke!" Kuno declared. "One such as you could not possibly defeat a noble samurai warrior such as myself."

"How do I stop this nut?" an exasperated Tenchi asked when Kuno continued to ignore it when he tagged him.

"Um, I think you'll have to knock him out," another member of the club said. "Otherwise, he'll just keep fighting."

"Well if that's what it takes," Tenchi said and quickly punched Kuno in the jaw.

It took a few moments for the other boys to recover from the shock of seeing Kuno laid out so easily. Then they surrounded Tenchi and began talking excitedly.

"Wow! You really nailed him."

"I've never seen anything like it."

"That was amazing."

"Who taught you to fight like that?"

"Well," Tenchi said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously, "My grandfather has been teaching me to fight open hand and with various weapons all my life. Anyway, my opponent didn't use any defensive moves at all. I hope I didn't hit him too hard," he continued as he went to check on Kuno.

"Don't worry about it," said a heavyset boy who introduced himself as Naoki Nishimura. "He's recovered from hits hard enough to knock him through walls. He'll wake up in a few minutes and be fine. It might be best if you left before that though or he might just start attacking you again."

"Well, if you think so," Tenchi said and started gathering his things. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

As Tenchi was walking home, he decided that he would have a little talk with his grandfather about his new school. Nobuyuki and Rea weren't home yet when he arrived, so he went upstairs to the spare bedroom and stepped through the closet door into Washu's lab. Then he immediately used the other door which took him back to Okayama.

As soon as he exited the lab, Ryoko, who had been napping on her rafter, woke up and with a cry of "TENCHI!" swooped down to give him a bone-crushing hug. "Did you miss me?" she asked.

"Can't breathe," the boy who thought his ribs were cracking managed to croak out.

The other girls who had rushed in when she screamed, finally managed to pry Ryoko off of Tenchi and he stood there gasping and coughing..

"Are you all right, Tenchi?"

"How did you get here?"

"I missed you so much!"

"How do you like your new school?"

Tenchi spent several minutes answering questions and then said, "I want to go up to the shrine and discuss some things with Grandpa for a while. We can talk more when I get back." With that he left and hurried up the steps to the shrine.

When he went in, he found his grandfather sitting at a table with two cups of steaming tea.

"Well Tenchi, how was your first day of school?" Yosho asked.

"School was fine. The kendo club meeting after school wasn't." Tenchi said as he stood there. "Why did you arrange for me to go there? And why did you sign me up for a club run by a lunatic."

"Sit down and I'll tell you," Yosho said. After Tenchi did so he continued, "You are going to be faced with many different situations in the years to come. You will encounter people who will try to use and manipulate you for their own ends. There are many dishonorable people who will use flattery and falsehood against you. You need to learn how to deal with people like that. You also need to stand up for yourself more. If you don't the results could be disastrous."

"And you think that dealing with idiots like Tatewaki Kuno will help to prepare me for that?" Tenchi asked.

"That young man is a minor irritant whose attacks are straight forward and easy to deal with," Yosho replied. "You also need to learn how to deal with more subtle forms of attack. Remember there is more than one way to win a battle or a war. Now, will you have a cup of tea with me while you tell me how your day went?"

After about fifteen minutes, Tenchi returned to the house and told the girls about Nerima and his school. When he mentioned that Washu was now his homeroom and science teacher, Aeka and Ryoko nearly hit the roof. Finally he said that he had to get back and do his homework and despite much whining and wheedling, he left. Nobuyuki and Rea weren't back yet, so he called his father.

"Hi Dad, it's me," he said. "Do you know when you'll get home."

"Hello son," Nobuyuki said from the other end. "We're in a store getting some things for supper and should get back in ten minutes or so. Why don't you start some tea?"

"Alright Dad, bye," said Tenchi and he headed for the kitchen.

During supper Tenchi told his father and Rea about his day and his talk with his grandfather. Then he went upstairs to do his homework and get ready for bed.

"Okay," he thought as he lay in his bed. "Grandpa wants me to learn how to deal with underhanded people. That takes strategy and to develop an effective strategy you need information. Tomorrow, I'm going to start asking questions."

Author's notes:

First, this isn't a story in which Ranma Saotome gets light hawk wings and becomes a god. This is a story in which Tenchi Masaki, who already has light hawk wings, has been learning how to use his abilities.

Second, although Ranma is a very skilled martial artist who's been training all his life, Tenchi is also very skilled, has been training for a long time, and he's had a much better teacher than the idiot who tied up Ranma with fish products and tossed him into a pit of hungry cats.

Third, although I appreciate constructive criticism that will help me to improve my writing, I would rather not get any more spam reviews from "new" members.

Chapter III is in progress.


	3. Chapter 3

Tenchi Goes to Nerima

Standard disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Chapter III: Learning the Ropes

Tenchi left early after a quick breakfast and was one of the first students to arrive at school. When Hiro Watanabi got there, he asked, "Could you tell me what's going on around here? I hope there aren't any more lunatics like Tatewaki Kuno around."

"What do you want to know?" Hiro asked in turn.

"For starters, are there any other fighters like him at this school?" Tenchi asked

"The best fighter here is Ranma Saotome," Hiro answered. "He's fast, strong, and tough. He also has a curse that turns him into a cute girl with a really, great figure when he's splashed with cold water. He's in our gym class."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Tenchi exclaimed in disbelief.

"No I'm not," Hiro assured him. "I've seen him change myself, and I've seen his father change into a panda as well."

"Well, I did see a panda sweeping the sidewalk in front of a chiropractors office," Tenchi admitted.

"That was Genma Saotome, Ranma's father," Hiro confirmed.

"Does anyone else here have one of these curses and how did they get them?" Tenchi asked.

Hiro was just starting to tell Tenchi about the various people he knew of with curses and about the cursed springs of Jusenkyo when another boy rushed in and said excitedly, "I just heard about how you beat Kuno! It'll be all over school by lunchtime."

"Wow! You beat Kuno? How?" Hiro asked.

"Well, he just kept attacking me, even though I had tagged him at least a dozen times, so I punched him on the jaw to knock him out," Tenchi replied.

The other students crowded around asking for details, and then Kuno himself came in with a boken and rushed to attack. After his experience of the previous day, Tenchi knew better than to try to reason with him so he decked him again.

"What is with this guy?" Tenchi asked his awestruck classmates. "He should be locked up before he kills someone."

"For starters, his family has a lot of money," Aimi said. "His father also happens to be our principal and an even bigger lunatic than Kuno."

"Great, just great," said Tenchi. "Oh well, we can't just leave him laying on the floor."

"I'll help you carry him to his class," Hiro offered. "I can't wait to see the look on Nabiki Tendo's face."

"Who's that?" Tenchi asked.

"She's the biggest schemer in school." Hiro told him. "She causes a lot of trouble; sometimes for money and sometimes just for fun."

"She sounds like someone I should definitely be wary of," Tenchi thought as they carried Kuno through the halls and past their schoolmates.

"Here we are," Hiro said shortly thereafter as they entered another room.

"What's going on here?" the teacher demanded.

"I'm sorry sensei," Tenchi said with a bow, "but he attacked me with a boken and I had to knock him out."

"You would be Tenchi Masaki then?" he asked.

"Yes sensei," Tenchi answered.

"Just leave him on the floor and head back to your room," the teacher replied. "I hope you get there before the last bell."

"Yes sensei," both boys responded and hurried to comply.

They made it back to their own room just as the last bell rang and Washu said, "Your classmates told me what happened so I'll excuse you this time, but don't cut it so close again. Just toss him out a window if you have to. Got it?"

"Got it sensei," they replied and hurried to their seats.

The morning's classes passed without anything unusual happening, although the way Hinako-sensei looked at Tenchi made him very nervous, and at lunchtime, Tenchi took out his laptop to do some research on Jusenkyo.

"That's a really nice computer," Atsushi said. "Where did you get it?"

"It was custom made for me by a friend," Tenchi told him, not wanting to mention Washu.

"Doing research for a paper?" Aimi inquired.

"No. I'm just trying to find out more about Jusenkyo and its effects." Tenchi answered. "There are a lot of pages listed. Maybe I should narrow my search."

"If you want to know about Jusenkyo," Aimi said, "You should ask Cologne. She's from that area and knows more about it than anyone else here."

"Her great-granddaughter, Shampoo, is the one that turns into a cat," Hiro added. "She's also one of Ranma's fiancees."

"One of them?" Tenchi asked surprised.

"Yeah, Ranma beat her in a fight and, according to her tribe's laws, she has to marry him," Atsushi said. "Ranma's father had already engaged him to two other girls but Shampoo and Cologne are still trying to get him to marry her."

"I'd marry her in an instant," Hiro said. "She's gorgeous and a great cook."

"I'd marry Akane even if she can't cook," Atsushi responded.

The other boys in Tenchi's class joined in and started a heated discussion about which of Ranma's fiancees they'd marry if they had the chance, which seemed to annoy most of the girls in the class. Tenchi then asked Aimi and her friends Atsuko Katou and KumikoYoshida about the strange goings on in Nerima.

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The last class of the day was gym. The teacher went up to Tenchi and introduced himself as Ichiro Sasaki. Then he asked, "Is it true that you knocked out Tatewaki Kuno?"

"Yes Sensei," he replied.

"You must be very fast," the teacher said.

The class did some calisthenics and then their teacher said to the group. "I'm going to show you a judo throw with the help of Masaki-kun. Then you're going to pair up and practice it. Masaki-kun, I want you to come at me with a basic attack move and then I'll throw you, so get into position. Tenchi did as instructed and Sasaki put him on the ground with a shoulder throw.

"Good," the teacher said with a grin. "I'm going to pair up Masaki-kun with Ranma Saotome. The rest of you pair up any way you want. Saotome-kun, come here."

A boy with a bored expression on his face came over and Sasaki said," Masaki-kun will attack and I want you to throw him. Everyone get into position. Begin.

Tenchi made his move but his opponent just dodged out of the way without countering. Tenchi turned and asked, "Why didn't you do the throw?"

"That stuff's for little kids. Why should I bother?" the other boy responded.

"Because it's part of the class," Tenchi replied. But the other boy just stood there without replying.

Then the teacher came over and asked, "What's going on here?"

"I'm sorry Sensei, but he wouldn't do the throw." Tenchi told him.

"Alright, then you throw him," Sasaki said.

"Yeah right, as if a wimp who fights with a sword could really take me down." Ranma said derisively.

"This is probably one of Grandpa's lessons," Tenchi thought, so he shrugged his shoulders and before his opponent could move a muscle, he was on the ground.

Ranma quickly picked himself up off the floor and asked, "How'd you do that?"

"I just used the move our teacher showed us," Tenchi replied with a grin.

"Why don't you try to throw Masaki-kun now while he tries to counter?" the teacher asked.

"Okay," the boy said and got into position along with Tenchi. He moved to attack and wound up on the floor again. Three more times he tried to put Tenchi down and wound up on the floor himself.

"Do you still think that judo is just for little kids?" the teacher asked.

"He must have used a special technique. There's no way anyone could beat me without using some kind of trick." Ranma insisted. "What was it?" he demanded of Tenchi.

"Like I said before, I just did the throw Sasaki-sensei showed us. No tricks." Tenchi replied. "And by the way, just because someone fights with a sword, doesn't mean he can't fight without one."

"That's true," the teacher agreed. "You should remember that judo was developed from the unarmed fighting techniques of samurai." Then he looked at the rest of the boys who had gathered around to watch and said, "What are you just standing around for? You've seen the move enough now, so start practicing it! And I expect you, Saotome-kun, to start paying attention in class. Who knows, you just might learn something. Now get into position and the next time Masaki-kun comes at you do the throw just the way he did." Once they got into position, the teacher said, "Begin!" and Ranma did the throw, but a lot harder than necessary.

"That wasn't the way it was supposed to be done and you know it, Saotome-kun. Just for that I want you to do fifty push-ups!" Sasaki said.

"Fifty push-ups! No way!" the boy cried.

"Do it or I'll call your mother," the teacher insisted. Ranma did it.

Then he turned to Tenchi and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes Sensei," Tenchi, who had already gotten up, replied. "I've been put down a lot harder by my grandfather."

At that the teacher said, "You're very good. If you joined the judo team and if Saotome-kun would follow the rules, we could be national champions. Are you interested?"

"Thank you Sensei," Tenchi replied. "But I've already joined the kendo club. I don't think I'll have the time necessary to compete."

"Too bad," his instructor said. "We could really use you and you wouldn't have to put up with Kuno-kun."

When Ranma finished his push-ups, the teacher had him practice various throws with Tenchi the right way.

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After Ichiro Sasaki dismissed the class, they went to the locker room to change. Even though he had been told about the curse, Tenchi was astonished to see the change for himself as Ranma Saotome took off his clothes and stepped under the cold shower. He was also surprised to find that the boy turned girl didn't have much feminine modesty and paid no attention to the stares of the other boys. Then Tenchi's face started to turn red and he turned away. "At least I didn't get a nosebleed," he thought in embarrassment.

Hiro came up to Tenchi and said, "See, I told you."

Just then there was a loud crash and a Chinese girl with long hair came through a new hole in the wall. "Shampoo has ramen for Ranma, she said.

If that wasn't strange enough she was soon followed by a duck, wearing glasses, which somehow managed to send chains with grapples, knives and a swan potty(?) flying at Ranma who managed to dodge out of the way.

"Is that duck another person with a curse?" Tenchi asked. "How does it manage to send all those weapons flying out of its wings?"

"That's Mousse" Hiro told him. "He's in love with Shampoo. I guess he thinks that if he could beat Ranma, Shampoo would marry him."

"Okay, but how is he managing to hurl all those things at Ranma?" Tenchi persisted.

"He's a master of the hidden weapons technique. He's like some kind of magician with all kinds of things tucked up his sleeves. I don't know how they wind up hidden in his feathers. He usually causes a lot of destruction but doesn't hurt Ranma much"

Since none of the other boys seemed concerned, Tenchi decided to watch and see what would happen while avoiding getting hit with shrapnel. Some of the pipes got broken and cold water was starting to spray all over. The girl, Shampoo, was rushing towards Ranma when she got drenched and turned into a pink cat. Ranma still in girl form and wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, immediately ran off with the cat and the duck in hot pursuit.

The fight, if you could call it that, lasted less than two minutes, but the destruction was considerable. "Aeka and Ryoko don't usually make this much of a mess," Tenchi thought as he looked at the flooded room with numerous holes in the walls, spraying water pipes jutting out at odd angles, and broken lockers and benches scattered about. Then he, along with the other boys, started searching for the rest of his clothes. As they did so, Tenchi asked why Ranma had fled and was told about his fear of cats and how he acquired it.

They were almost ready to leave when Hiro picked up Shampoo's brightly colored top, sighed, and said, "It's too bad Shampoo didn't get hit with hot water before she went chasing after Ranma."

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After doing his cleaning tasks, Tenchi went to the kendo club meeting. As expected, Kuno attacked him with a boken and was quickly knocked out. Then he asked the other members how they put up with a nut like Kuno.

"Most of us are in this club because our fathers insisted," a tall boy named Kiyoshi Aoki said. "We usually just bow a lot and tell him how great he is. He really is a great fighter and I've learned a lot from him. He can even cut down a tree with his boken."

"Well," said Tenchi. "I'm in this club because my grandfather signed me up for it, so I know how you feel. How long will Kuno be out?"

"I'd say about twenty minutes," another boy named Hideki Ishikawa replied. "Next time hit him harder."

The group of boys then spent their time talking about kendo, fighting in general, and girls. When Kuno came to and attacked again, Tenchi hit him harder and he stayed out for the rest of the meeting.

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As Tenchi was leaving school, he was approached by a girl with short, straight, black hair who introduced herself as Nabiki Tendo. "Since you're new here, you're going to need a lot of help to learn how to get along in Nerima. I'd be glad to be of assistance to you," she then said.

"What kinds of assistance?" Tenchi inquired warily, having received plenty of warnings about her.

"For starters, I can tell you all about the troublemakers in this school and how to avoid problems with them. We can discuss it over a nice meal," she told him.

"Could you be more specific?" Tenchi persisted.

"You've already dealt with Tatewaki Kuno but Ranma Saotome is an even bigger troublemaker," Nabiki told him.

"I already met him in gym class," Tenchi responded. "I don't think I'll have any trouble with him. Anyway, I have to get home now so I'll have to decline your invitation. Good bye." Then he turned and started walking away.

Nabiki walked along beside him and said, "There are other people who can cause you problems as well. It really would be in your own best interest to take me up on my offer."

"Some other time," Tenchi insisted. "I really have to get home now." Then he quickened his pace to outdistance her.

Nabiki started walking towards her own home then, looking very unhappy (probably because she hadn't been able to con Tenchi into buying her an expensive dinner at her favorite restaurant). .

Tenchi was halfway home when Ranma, currently in boy form and wearing his school uniform, came running up to him. "Hey," he said. "Tell me how you moved so fast in gym class."

"I moved fast because I am fast," Tenchi told him. "That's all there is to it."

"You must have done a lot of training. Tell me about it," the other boy insisted.

"All right," Tenchi said. "Climbing a very, long flight of stairs up and down a mountain several times a day, all kinds of farm work, carrying heavy loads for miles, cleaning and maintenance at a shinto shrine, house repairs, yard work and training with my grandfather in a variety of armed and unarmed fighting styles like jujutsu. I've also gone up against some very tough opponents."

"Not as tough as some of my opponents," the other boy said proudly. I beat someone who was part dragon.

Then Tenchi said, "Oh, tell me about it."

Ranma told him about his fight with Herb as they walked.

"That Hiryu Shoten Ha technique of yours sounds pretty powerful," Tenchi told the other boy, "but you need time to do it. Do you have any techniques that are quicker?"

Then Ranma told him about learning the moko takabisha to counter Ryouga's shi shi hokodan. He also told Tenchi about some of their fights until they arrived at Tenchi's house.

"Hey, nice place," said Ranma as Tenchi unlocked the gate.

"Thank you," Tenchi replied. "Maybe I'll see you in school tomorrow. Bye." Then he shut the gate and went inside before Ranma could ask him anything else.

No one else was home yet, so Tenchi called his father on his cell phone and found out that he and Rea wouldn't be back for at least another two hours. Rea got on the phone then and told him that there was plenty of food in the refrigerator that could be heated up for his supper.

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When Ranma got home, his parents and the Tendos were already sitting at the dinner table waiting for him.

Genma Saotome, who happened to be a panda at the time flashed a series of signs that said, "Ranma! What's this I heard about you letting another student toss you around in gym class after I trained you to be the best martial artist of your generation?"

"Hey! The guy was like Sonic the Hedgehog. I couldn't even see him move. Anyway, if it was a real fight I would have beaten him easy," Ranma insisted.

"I heard that he had an easy time beating Kuno as well," Nabiki said. "One punch was all it took. It looks like Ranma isn't the best fighter around anymore."

"Just because he's fast and beat that stupid Kuno doesn't mean he's good," said Ranma. "Even Akane can beat him."

"Oh. Are you saying that I'm not any good, Ranma?" Akane asked. Thus the exchange of insults began anew.

Nodoka looked on and smiled. Then she turned to her husband, who was still a panda, and asked, "Isn't it nice that Ranma gets along so well with his fiancee?"

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When Nobuyuki got home with Rea, he asked Tenchi how his day had gone. When he was told about Kuno's repeated attacks, he said, "Maybe you should try to find some other way to deal with him than just clobbering him all the time."

"How Dad?" a frustrated Tenchi asked. "He's too crazy to be reasoned with."

"Even crazy people have reasons for what they do," his father explained, "it's sometimes possible to cope with them by understanding them. How do the other members of the club deal with him."

"They just bow and tell him how great he is," Tenchi replied.

"Is there anything else he's interested in besides kendo?" Rea asked then.

"From what my classmates have told me, he's only interested in his samurai delusions and two girls. He can't even comprehend that one of them is actually a boy," Tenchi told her.

"Well, that certainly makes no sense," she replied.

Then he explained about Ranma and his curse, and how Kuno refused to see that his worst enemy and his "pig-tailed goddess" were the same person.

"Maybe you could talk to this boy, Ranma, and find out how he handles Kuno," Nobuyuki suggested.

"He probably just decks the jerk," Tenchi replied.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

On Wednesday, Tenchi again arrived early at school. He was talking with his classmates and learning more about the strange world of Nerima when Kuno came in again with his boken. As Tenchi dodged strike after strike, he yelled, "Somebody open up a window and make sure that no one's underneath it! After that was done, he maneuvered Kuno into position and tripped him through it.

"I hope he doesn't get hurt from falling that far," Tenchi said as he looked down at Kuno who was sprawled on the ground.

"We're only on the third floor," Hiro replied.

"Besides, he landed on his head," Aimi added.

A boy standing outside with some friends said, "Nice swan dive. I give it an eight,"

"But the landing was terrible. I give it a four," another boy said.

The rest of the day passed about as normally as any day at Furinkan High did. The only thing that seemed really strange to Tenchi was when he heard a girl laughing maniacally and several explosions during lunch. When he asked about it, he was told that it was probably Kodachi Kuno, Tatewaki Kuno's sister from St. Hebereke School for Girls. "Is she anything like her brother?" he asked.

"Worse!" a chorus of voices exclaimed.

Kuno wasn't at the meeting of the kendo club that day because he had been sent home with a severe headache so the boys discussed sword techniques and strategy for an upcoming tournament.

When one of the other boys told him about Kuno's hundred strikes technique, Tenchi asked, "Is it legal to use such a technique in the tournament?"

"Unfortunately no," the boy replied. "That's what got us disqualified last time."

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After school, Ranma again started asking Tenchi about his training. Tenchi responded by telling him about the various weapons his grandfather had taught him to use. "My grandfather is extremely fast," he said. "I've often had a very difficult time keeping up with him. How did you develop your speed?"

"My father made everything a training exercise," Ranma explained. "I even had to compete with him for food. I had to move fast or starve. Then I worked at the Cat Cafe as a waitress for a while. The old ghoul who owns the place, Cologne, is a real slave driver." As he continued to complain about Cologne, Ranma got splashed with cold water from a passing truck. He hardly seemed to notice when he changed into a girl aside from adjusting his pants to fit his now slender waist and shorter stature, and taking off his shoes which were now much too large. "Then I had to try and avoid getting stung by some angry wasps my father set on me," he said.

"Wow! The worst things my grandpa ever hit me with were bokens, bos, and rocks. I never knew when he was going to send a rock flying at me, so I always had to be alert," Tenchi replied. "Oh, there's something I want to ask you about Kuno."

"What do you want to know about that jerk?" Ranma replied.

"How do you stop him from attacking you?" Tenchi asked.

"I either kick him or punch him," Ranma replied helpfully.

"That's what I thought," Tenchi replied with a sigh. "I was hoping there was some way to reason with him instead of knocking him unconscious. There's a kendo tournament coming up and we have to get ready for it."

"Can't reason with a lunatic," Ranma told him.

"My father told me that even crazy people have reasons for what they do and that maybe I could cope with him by understanding him. So far, all I know is that he's obsessed with being a samurai, your girl form and your fiancee, Akane," Tenchi replied.

"He's easy to manipulate if you have a reason to," Ranma said.

"Can you and Akane both manipulate him?" Tenchi asked. "And who's less likely to clobber him?"

"I'm better at manipulating him but Akane's less likely to hit him," Ranma replied.

"According to the guys in the kendo club," Tenchi said almost to himself, "Akane once beat all of them except Kuno in a kendo competition. It just might work."

"What might work?" Ranma asked.

"I just got an idea about how to handle Kuno," Tenchi told him. "Look, I have to hurry home now and make some phone calls. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Then he took off like a rocket.

"Uh, sure," Ranma said with a puzzled look on his face.

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The next morning, Tenchi got some mats from gym class and put them underneath the window he planned to send Kuno out of, if necessary, and then he went to class. Kuno didn't get a headache that day; at least not from Tenchi.

They practiced judo moves again in gym that day and while the boys were in the locker room, Tenchi went up to Ranma and asked, "Could I talk to you a bit about Kuno and an idea I have for dealing with him?"

"Okay," Ranma replied.

"The other members of the kendo club told me that Akane is so good at kendo that she once beat all of them but Kuno. So I thought that if she joined the team, she could help to keep him under control, plus we'd have another good fighter on the team. Do you think she'd be willing to do it?" he asked.

"Why don't you want me to join?" Ranma asked sounding rather miffed.

"Well, you said yourself that you're more likely to hit him, and you might change forms at the wrong time," Tenchi replied.

"Oh," Ranma said. "I don't know if Akane would be willing to do it, but I'll ask her."

"Thanks," Tenchi replied with a grin.

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The kendo club was having their meeting with Kuno unconscious on the floor, when Akane Tendo came in followed by Ranma who had a large bruise on his cheek.

"It's been over a year since they met and Ranma still hasn't figured out how to talk to Akane without insulting her," Kiyoshi said quietly to Tenchi.

Tenchi nodded. Then he stepped forward and bowed to Akane, saying, "Thank you for coming Tendo-san. I'm Tenchi Masaki. Did Ranma explain to you why we wanted you to come here today?"

"He told me that the kendo club needed my help in dealing with Kuno," she replied. "How?"

"Well," replied Tenchi, "the other members of the team told me how good you are at kendo. You're also someone Kuno pays attention to. So, I was hoping that you could join the team and help us win the tournament coming up, and keep Kuno under control enough so that we don't get disqualified."

"Thank you," Akane replied, "but Kuno usually sees only what he wants to see and hears only what he wants to hear. Ranma has changed right in front of him, yet he still doesn't comprehend that Ranma and his 'Pig-tailed goddess' are the same person."

"Would you be willing to try?" Tenchi asked.

"I guess so," she replied. "I was in the cooking club for a while but I left after a certain incident."

"Certain incident!" Ranma exclaimed. "You were kicked out after five people got stomach aches bad enough to send them to the nurse's office from eating the poison you call food."

"Don't say anything else, Ranma!" she shouted at him. "I know I'm a lousy cook. Okay? You don't have to tell everyone how bad I am, every chance you get."

"Excuse me," Tenchi cut in, knowing how important it was to defuse a bomb before it exploded, "but I'd really like to get back to the matter at hand, namely Kuno, before he wakes up and starts attacking me again."

"Alright," Akane said with a final glare at Ranma. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just sit here," Tenchi said moving a chair in front of Kuno, "and when he wakes up talk to him and get him to stop trying to hit me with a boken. I've already broken several of them but somehow he's always got another one."

Akane sat down and everyone waited for Kuno to wake up.

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Author's notes: I decided to end the chapter here before it got too long. Also, trying to write dialogue for Kuno could cause headaches, but I don't get headaches; I give them.

In the GXP episode "Entering the GP Academy[First Tests," Seina Yamada underwent body enhancement that was designed for combat purposes. When he woke up after the procedure and tried to stand up, he was so strong that he went bouncing around the padded room he was in. Later in the episode, "Seina and Tenchi [Getting Reacquainted," Seina was amazed at how fast he could ride a bide. Then he had a little race with Tenchi. Even though Seina was riding a bike, Tenchi was able to keep up with him easily just by running.

I'm not a martial artist. All I know about fighting comes from reading and television. If anyone knows of a good site that has accurate information, please let me know. I do believe, however, that speed is a determining factor in a fight. The faster you can move, the easier it is to evade your opponents attacks while getting around his defenses, and the harder you can hit. Force equals mass times acceleration after all. At least it does in the real world; in Nerima, it sometimes doesn't.

In Vol. 34 of the Ranma ½ manga, the story, "The Three Year Smile of Death," reveals that Mousse's weapons are hidden in his clothing. How they get in his feathers and how he manages to fly like that is never revealed. I guess that as long as it's funny, it doesn't have to make sense.

This story starts about one and a half years after the first episode of TM. In that time Tenchi Masaki has had to deal with revelations about his family and his place in it. After nearly dying in the fifth episode while trying to rescue Ryoko, he went to fight against Kagato on his own ship. He was prepared to kill him even if he died in the attempt. He won. In the twelfth episode, he went to Ryoko's rescue again and took on Dr. Clay's security bots. As Clay watched the fight on a monitor he said that Tenchi was pretty good for an Earthling. I really don't see why some people don't want to give Tenchi credit for anything. Tenchi isn't shown training after the third episode of the OVA (except in the manga), but it stands to reason that he would have continued to train and improve in his abilities as a fighter. Farm work is very good for building strength and stamina even with some mechanical assistance. Has anyone reading this ever tried to maneuver a bucking, walk behind, rototiller through rocky soil? Anyway, there's more to Tenchi Masaki and "Tenchi Muyo" than fighting.


	4. Chapter 4

Tenchi Goes to Nerima

Standard disclaimer: I don't own these characters and I'm not making any money on this story.

Chapter four: 

Kuno's eyes opened and at the sight of Akane he exclaimed, "My fierce tigress! You have escaped the clutches of that vile sorcerer, Ranma Saotome, and come to me.

Akane seemed to be at a loss for words for a bit and then she said, "I thought I might join the kendo club. Would that be all right with you?"

"Of course my love. Anything for you," he replied.

"I'll join if you stop attacking Tenchi Masaki. It really isn't good for the team for you to be fighting against each other."

"But he has been using treachery and deceit against me." Kuno told her. "How else could a peasant such as he have beaten a noble warrior of my consummate skill?"

"I've talked with him and found him to be an honorable man, not one who uses treachery or deceit," Akane said dramatically. "As captain of the Kendo club it is your duty to make amends with him so that we may be victorious in the next tournament. Please set your quarrel aside. A samurai warrior such as yourself must forsake his own ambition for the good of his comrades and for the sake of their noble mission. Is that not so?"

"She's laying it on a bit thick, isn't she?" Tenchi asked Ranma quietly as Akane continued to talk with Kuno.

"Whatever works," Ranma replied.

"It looks like he's agreed to leave me alone, but what will happen if he sees you here?" Tenchi inquired.

"He'll probably come at me with his boken," Ranma said.

"Maybe you should get out of sight until the meeting is over then, or change forms," Tenchi told him.

"Okay," Ranma said and doused himself with a handy bucket of water.

When Kuno stood up and saw Ranma, he rushed forward to embrace "her" with a cry of "pig-tailed girl!" and was promptly punched in the face.

"Does that happen a lot?" Tenchi asked.

"Yes," was the answer he got from everyone who was conscious. 

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After the meeting, Tenchi thanked Akane again for her help and headed home. After eating a quick supper and doing his homework, he went through the door that would take him to Okayama.

Ryoko again launched herself at Tenchi but this time he was ready and grabbed HER in a tight hug, to everyone's surprise. "I missed you and everyone else, of course," he said and laughed as he looked at her blushing face.

After that, he had to give everyone else hugs as well.

"We've already eaten," Sasami told him, "but I can fix something for you really fast."

"That's alright, Sasami-chan," he told the little girl. "I've already eaten myself. Besides, I just came to spend some time with all of you and I can't do that if you're stuck in the kitchen cooking."

Sasami looked disappointed at first but then she smiled and said, "Okay."

Soon everyone was seated in the living room and Tenchi told the girls about his experiences in Nerima.

When he started to tell them about the shape-changing curses some people had, Ryoko said, "Those cursed springs sound like something Washu would have cooked up for laughs."

"Not guilty!" Washu exclaimed. "It just so happens that about twelve thousand years ago, that idiot, Dr. Clay, was trying to come up with a process that would allow people to change forms for espionage purposes. I won't bore you with the technical details, but he managed to develop a fluid that enabled someone to assume the identity of another person who had come in contact with it. The results were far from satisfactory. The facts that the change was unstable and could be triggered or deactivated by contact with water of various temperatures, that a person didn't always completely transform into the target and that sometimes the target's personality took over, caused it to be declared a failure. In Ranma's case, the transformation was largely confined to physical, sexual characteristics and he retained his original personality and sexual orientation. According to the official records, the stuff was disposed of by being sent into a star. Obviously something went wrong and the tank containing the fluid wound up crashing on this planet in the area now known as China. The tank must have developed a leak that resulted in the contamination of some springs in that area... Zero worked out much better until Ryoko's feelings for Tenchi overrode her loyalty to Dr. Clay."

"Does that mean that the process can be reversed and the people cured?" Tenchi asked excitedly.

"It would be a piece of cake for me to undo all the curses and deactivate the springs," Washu declared.

Tenchi thought he knew the answer but he asked anyway, "Will you do it?"

"No," she replied.

"Why not?" Aeka asked.

"Anyone stupid enough to go there and fall into one of those springs, despite all the warnings, deserves what he gets," Washu told them as if she was speaking to young children. "And there's another reason."

"What other reason?" Tenchi asked.

"It's funny," Washu replied with a mischievous grin.

"WASHU!" everyone else shouted.

"Look," Washu replied, "those curses aren't really hurting the victims and sometimes they can help them."

"How does changing into a girl help Ranma?" Tenchi inquired.

"Before he was cursed," Washu told him, "he was an arrogant jerk who considered all girls to be weak, stupid and useless. Now, as the saying goes, 'the shoe's on the other foot.' Now he has to deal with being the victim of those same misogynistic attitudes himself and he's learning that being a girl doesn't make a person weak, stupid or useless. Eventually, the curse won't even matter to him anymore."

"How do you know all that about Ranma? And what about the other cursed people?" Tenchi asked.

"I've been doing research too, you know, and listening in on conversations. Ranma happens to be a favorite topic. And if people really wanted to be cured, they could always go to China and use either the spring of drowned young girl or man to negate the effects ," Washu replied.

"Mousse and Shampoo are from that area to begin with," Tenchi said. "Why haven't they used the springs to cure themselves?"

"I have no idea. Maybe you should ask them," Washu replied. 

Eventually the conversation turned to other matters and Tenchi asked Sasami how things were going at her school.

"Great, Tenchi-niichan!" she exclaimed. "I've made a lot of friends and I enjoy my classes, especially cooking. I've been learning some new recipes and techniques. We even made bread one time."

"Doesn't it take a lot more time to make bread than you have in one class?"Tenchi asked her. 

"First we mixed the dough and let it rise. Then we puched the dough down at lunch time and let it rise again. Then we baked it the next day. The teacher told us that some people have machines that they put all the ingredients in, and the machine does all the work and even bakes the bread. It's no fun to cook that way. I like to make things myself. Would you come for supper tomorrow and try some of my new dishes? Please."

"Of course Sasami-chan. I plan to stay for the whole weekend," he told her. "Dad and Rea-san will be coming for a visit as well on Saturday." 

"That's nice. They were here for such a short time when they came to take you to Nerima. I'd really like to get to know Rea-san better." Aeka said. 

"Looking for pointers on how to catch a man?" Ryoko asked.

Tenchi smiled as another argument broke out between Aeka and Ryoko. It was good to be home.

All to soon, it was time for Tenchi to return to Nerima but he promised that he would be back as quickly as possible the next day.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Friday morning passed without Kuno attacking Tenchi, which disappointed many in his class who were looking forward to the show. All of their teachers, including Washu, seemed to enjoy handing out extra homework assignments for the weekend. Then after clean up, it was time for the kendo club meeting.

When Tenchi arrived, the other members, including Akane, were already there. Kuno came up to him and said, "My fair Juliet, Akane, has requested that I refrain from punishing you for your impertinence. Therefore, I will spare you from further retribution for your misdeeds."

Tenchi bowed and said, "Thanks, I..."

"Silence knave," Kuno said angrily. "I have not finished." And he continued talking for another twenty minutes.

When the meeting was finally over and Tenchi was on his way home, Ranma ran up to him and asked, "How did things go at the meeting today?"

"I'm beginning to wish that I had just kept knocking Kuno out," Tenchi replied. "He's the most conceited and long winded person I've ever met. Most of the meeting was taken up with his speeches.

"I'm not surprised," Ranma said. "Kuno doesn't need a sword; he could bore you to death."

Tenchi smiled and said, "If attacking your opponent with boring speeches was allowed, we'd win the tournament easily."

Ranma started to laugh, but he was suddenly flattened by a bicycle landing on his head.

"Ranma go on date with Shampoo?" the Chinese girl riding the bike asked with a dazzling smile.

"Excuse me," Tenchi, who had been momentarily startled, said to her, "but it would be best if you got your bike off of him first."

"Oh," she said and peddled her bike across Ranma's back. "Ranma go on date now?"

"NO!" he said angrily as he got slowly to his feet. "I'm not going on any date with you. Now leave me alone!" 

Just then, it started to rain heavily and both Ranma and Shampoo were transformed. Ranma immediately turned and ran, but before Shampoo could take off after him, Tenchi picked her up and said, "It would best if you changed back into a girl before you go after him again." Then he gathered Shampoo's clothing and bike and put them under the awning of a restaurant. "It would also be better if you didn't run him or anyone else over with your bike again. I'll get you some hot water so that you can change back."

Tenchi went inside the restaurant and quickly returned with a tablecloth and a kettle of hot water. He placed the cloth over Shampoo's back and then poured the water over her head. Once Shampoo was changed back and had put her clothes on, Tenchi said, "It looks like it will keep raining for a while. You should stay here until it stops." Then he bowed to the speechless girl, returned the tablecloth and kettle to the restaurant and left.

Tenchi had only gone a short distance when Ranma came running up to him again. "That stupid Shampoo really drives me crazy," he said. "She's always running me over with that bike of hers and expecting me to go on dates with her. She's almost as bad as Kuno's crazy sister, Kodachi."

"I guess you've really got your hands full with her and the other girls," Tenchi said and laughed.

"It's not funny! You don't know what it's like to have to deal with crazy, violent girls all the time," Ranma retorted.

Tenchi laughed harder and then said, "I'm sorry but what you said reminded me of something else."

"What?" Ranma asked in an irritated tone of voice.

"It's something personal that I can't discuss," Tenchi replied smiling. "The rain stopped. Are you going to change back now?"

Ranma looked around and said, "We're near Uchan's place. I can always get hot water there. Come on, I'll introduce you. You might even get some free food."

"Thanks, but I can't. I promised that I'd get home as soon as possible. I'll see you on Monday at school, okay?" Tenchi replied and continued on his way.

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When he got home, Tenchi quickly grabbed a bag he had ready and went through the doors that would take him to Okayama. Dinner wasn't quite ready yet, so he sat on a couch sandwiched between Aeka and Ryoko and told them about his day. When he got to the part about Shampoo hitting Ranma with her bike, Aeka looked shocked and said, "How rude!"

"Well, it certainly didn't encourage Ranma to go out with her," Tenchi replied. "The more time I spend there, the less sense Nerima makes. I've been told so many bizarre stories that I found impossible to believe, and then I'd see the proof.

"Like what?" Ryoko asked.

"Well, I was told that there's a demon in the area that possesses people and makes them play nasty tricks on others. I didn't believe it, but then I saw this grinning ball with horns and stick-like arms and legs flying about and being chased by a strange looking man. It was the demon," Tenchi told her.

"That doesn't sound like much of a demon," Ryoko replied. "I'm a much better demon than that."

"Well, that demon looked like something a six year old would have made out of clay and string," Tenchi told her.

Soon after, Sasami called everyone to dinner. She had prepared several dishes with the help of Noike and Mihoshi. "Tonight we're having Chinese food. I made egg drop soup, cucumber salad, rolled egg pancakes with pork, and rice," Sasami told them. "Then we're having almond cookies for dessert. There's plenty, so eat a lot." As usual the meal was excellent and everyone exclaimed, "That was a feast!"

The following morning, Tenchi got up early and headed to the fields. He was pleasantly surprised to find that they had been well tended in his absence and that all he had to do was a little weeding.

It was about two hours before lunchtime that Nobuyuki and Rea arrived. Everyone, including Yosho, gathered in the living room where the recently married couple stood and faced them. "We have an important announcement to make," Nobuyuki told them. "Rea and I are going to have a baby." 

The party started almost immediately. The only ones who didn't wind up unconscious were Sasami, Rea, Washu and Tenchi, who remained sober despite Ryoko's efforts to get him drunk.

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Back in Nerima, after his morning workout with his father, Ranma headed for the Cat Cafe and waited for Shampoo to start her deliveries before going inside. Once there, he went straight up to the wizened Cologne and said, "I need you to tell me how to beat someone who's super fast."

Cologne looked at him as she stood on a table and said, "I heard about what happened at your school and there may be something I can do to help. What do you know about the boy who defeated you?"

"He's fast and he does kendo," Ranma replied.

Cologne hit Ranma on his head with her staff and shouted, "Fool! Everyone in your school knows that. You talked to him, didn't you? What did he tell you?" she asked.

"Ah...He talked about doing farm work and stuff, Ranma told her. "He also said that he was trained in jujutsu and the use of weapons."

"And what did you tell him," she inquired.

"I told him about my fights with Herb, Ryouga and others," he replied.

"So, you told him about your most potent attacks and learned almost nothing in return," Cologne stated. "You really are an idiot sometimes."

Before Ranma could think of a reply, Mousse came in, in human form, and without his glasses. "Shampoo! You're back already," he cried. Then he rushed forward and tried to hug Ranma.

Cologne quickly used her staff to send Mousse back to the kitchen and shouted, "Put you glasses on!" Then she sent Ranma flying out the door.

Ranma picked himself up while muttering curses. Then he hurried towards Tenchi's house. Once he got to the gate, he rang the bell and waited. After a few minutes he decided to hop over the wall and go to the front door. He hadn't taken two steps when an anvil fell from the sky and made a hole in the ground right in front of him. Before the shock even registered, it was followed by a bowling ball, dishes, and a bushel of very ripe tomatoes which spattered all over him. Then a large octopus fell on him and wrapped it's tentacles around him. By the time he finished prying it off of himself, he was covered in ink. Ranma was trying to wipe it from his eyes when he heard a horrible sound; the mewing of cats, LOTS of cats. Ranma immediately turned away from the sound and ran right into the front gate. He scrambled over it and took off at breakneck speed. Meanwhile, far away in her lab, Washu laughed her head off.

Akane was doing errands for her sister, Kasumi, when she saw Ranma stumbling towards her with a dazed expression on his face. She grabbed him and asked, "What happened to you? You look like you lost a fight with Pantyhose Taro."

"Octopus. Cats. Too many cats," he mumbled.

Not being able to get any more from him than that, Akane took Ranma home and explained how she found him to his parents, her father Soun and her sisters Nabiki and Kasumi.

Genma took his son upstairs to clean him up and when they returned he said, "I still couldn't get anything out of him but 'octopus' and 'cats.'"

Kasumi brought Ranma some tea and said, "Maybe this will help settle him down."

Once the boy had finished his tea, Akane asked, "Can you tell us what happened to you?"

He took a long shuddering breath and said, "I went to Tenchi Masaki's house and when I didn't get an answer at the gate, I jumped over the wall. An anvil fell from the sky and nearly flattened me. Then other stuff just fell from the sky including an octopus. Then I heard cats and ran."

"What do you mean, 'fell from the sky?'" Nabiki demanded.

"Just what I said," he responded. "They came straight down out of a clear sky."

"I've heard of things like fish falling from the sky," Akane said. "It's believed that waterspouts are sometimes responsible. But an anvil is too heavy for that, isn't it?"

"Maybe those things fell from an airplane," Kasumi suggested.

"Someone like Ryouga could have thrown an anvil high enough so that it seemed to fall straight down," Soun Tendo suggested.

"Why were you at Tenchi Masaki's house?" Nabiki asked.

"I wanted to find out about his fighting techniques," he replied. 

"I've been doing a little checking up on him," Nabiki said in a casual voice. Then she gave Ranma a look that said, "It'll cost you to find out."

Later that evening Ranma and Akane went to Nabiki's room to find out what she had learned about Tenchi. "What did you find out, and what will it cost me?" Ranma asked right away.

"I want you to pose for some pictures," Nabiki told him.

"All right, but I'm not going to wear any stupid lingerie," he insisted.

"That's all right," Nabiki told him. "The hottest sellers are pictures of you wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts anyway."

Akane gave out an exasperated sigh and said, "Now that that's taken care of, what did you learn?"

"Do you remember hearing about the destruction of the Great Seto Bridge A year and a half ago?" Nabiki asked.

Akane said, "Yes. I remember hearing that it was destroyed by a meteor," while Ranma, who had been in China at the time, looked blank.

"That same night, Kurashiki West High School where Tenchi Masaki was a student was destroyed in a fire that the authorities attributed to a gas explosion. Also on that night, Tenchi's house was destroyed in an explosion that left nothing but the foundation behind. That same explosion shattered windows for a quarter mile radius. There were also reports of strange lights in the sky. Only a few days later, a house that looked very similar to Tenchi's destroyed house was found to have been built on the shore of a nearby lake on land owned by Tenchi's family," Nabiki told them.

"Alright, there was a series of events that may or may not have been related," Akane said. "What else did you learn?"

"I learned that Tenchi's father, who recently remarried after being widowed for many years, is a well known architect whose firm is currently working on several prestigious building projects here in Tokyo, and that his family has a lot of money and property in Okayama," Nabiki told her.

"None of that has anything to do with fighting!" Ranma said in an angry voice. "The deal's off."

"You agreed to pose for pictures in exchange for the information I had. I told you what I found out, so you still owe me," Nabiki insisted. "I'll be very annoyed if you back out of our agreement. You know what happens when I get annoyed."

Ranma knew but he continued to complain as Nabiki made arrangements for the photo shoot.

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It was Sunday morning in Okayama. Tenchi had finished his morning training and was having tea with his grandfather before starting his shrine duties.

"Tell me about your experiences in Okayama," Yosho said to him.

"I'm not having any trouble with my classes, but things are a lot stranger in Nerima than what I've heard about on the news. But you knew that already, didn't you?" Tenchi responded.

Yosho took a sip of tea and said, "Perhaps."

"Please stop treating me like a little kid, Grandpa," Tenchi said. "You knew what Nerima was like before you bought the house I'm living in there and enrolled me in Furinkan High."

"How did you find out that I own the house?" his grandfather asked. 

"I checked the records via the internet, of course," the boy replied.

Yosho sighed deeply and said, "You really are growing up, I see. You're also beginning to use that brain of yours for things other than school work."

"I've been doing that for a long time. You just didn't notice it. As the saying goes, 'The most valuable lessons are learned outside of the classroom,'" Tenchi replied. "Aren't those the kinds of lessons that you wanted me to learn in Nerima?"

"I'm sorry Tenchi. I should have noticed that you're not a child any more. I've gotten so used to controlling and manipulating things, thinking that I knew what was best for everyone, that I didn't see just how much you've grown," the older man said softly. "So, man to man, what is your assessment of some of the people you've encountered?"

"Most of my classmates are the same as the students I went to school with here. In fact one of them, Hiro Watanabi, reminds me of Amagasaki, a lot," Tenchi told him. "Tatewaki Kuno is a very good fighter even if he is crazy. He tends to be predictable but his perceptions are so warped that he might do something unexpected. Ranma Saotome is also a very good fighter. He reacts very fast and is quick to take advantage of any oportunity. My classmates told me that he hates to lose and often uses underhanded methods to win. If he thinks he might lose a fight, he runs away to try and think up a strategy to beat his opponent before fighting him again. If he did that in competition, it would be considered a forfeit. Of course, a lot of the people he's fought have used some very nasty tactics as well. I was told that Kuno's sister, Kodachi Kuno, a martial arts gymnast, even tries to injure her opponents before competitions. Ranma's fiancee, Akane Tendo, is a very good fighter as well and she's very nice, but she loses her temper too easily. Akane's sister, Nabiki, has a very bad reputation. I don't like to judge people based on hearsay, but some of my classmates told me that she'd sell her own sister for a hundred yen. Others said that she'd demand a lot more." Tenchi thought about some of the stories he'd been told about "the ice queen" for a bit and then he continued, "She's so eager to make money that she doesn't consider the consequences of her actions. She'll probably have a very hard time getting a job, once she graduates, because of it."

"Is there anyone in Nerima that you think could cause you trouble?" Yosho asked.

"Of those I've met, I'd say that Nabiki Tendo is the most likely to cause trouble. Ranma Saotome is probably trying to come up with a way to beat me in a fight, but I'm not really worried about that. Of those I haven't met, Principal Kuno is the most likely to be a problem, just because he's so crazy and has an obsession with cutting students' hair. A woman named Cologne who owns a restaurant called Cat Cafe might cause me some problems. But you probably know more about her than I do. So, what do you think?" Tenchi finished.

"I agree with most of your observations," Yosho told him, "But you failed to consider certain interactions."

"I suppose that Nabiki might try to help Ranma against me if she thought there was a way to make money from it," Tenchi said thoughtfully. "Cologne might try to help Ranma in order to get him to marry her great-granddaughter, Shampoo. Anything else?"

"Not really," his grandfather replied. "But alliances could develop and change very quickly depending on the circumstances."

"That's true," Tenchi agreed. "Hiro and another classmate of mine named Atsushi Honda told me a story about how Ranma and my English teacher, Hinako-sensei tried to beat up Principal Kuno once. He got Nabiki Tendo, a strange, little, old man named Happosai and his own son to defend himself. Nabiki took the ten thousand yen she had been paid and ran off. Happosai was booted out of sight by Ranma. Then Kuno, who was fighting in a deluded attempt to get Hinako-sensei to go on a date with him, was blasted by one of her energy attacks. Then she used another technique to drain his energy. It really was funny, the way they told it." Tenchi told his grandfather how the fight turned out and then he told him a few more stories about Nerima. Then he finished his tea before beginning his chores.

After he finished sweeping the grounds and replaced some missing and damaged roof tiles, Tenchi had a quick lunch and worked on the last of his homework. After that, he joined Aeka, Ryoko and Mihoshi as they watched a new soap opera before supper. The story really didn't interest him since it involved a very strange alien society and their obsession with various forms of status and the means they used to acquire and increase it. There were parts of the story that the girls thought were very funny that he didn't understand at all, but he enjoyed talking with them during the commercials.

Supper was a feast with many of Tenchi's favorite foods. During a pause in the conversation, Yosho said to him, "Since you find your schoolwork so easy, you might have time to come and spar with me a few mornings a week. I need to keep in practice as well. I have to be ready to teach my new great-grandchild."

Tenchi said, "Alright. I'm sure you have many more techniques and moves to show me that might come in handy."

Yosho grinned and said, "I've learned quite a few tricks over the last seven hundred years; you won't learn all of them overnight."

"You know," Washu interupted, "it really would be a good idea if you practiced teleporting as well Tenchi. You never know when it could come in handy, and you won't have to climb all the steps to the practice area."

"Climbing all those stairs is part of my warm-up routine," Tenchi told her. "But I would like to learn how to teleport when and where I want. I don't want to unexpectedly find myself in close proximity to the sun."

"Come to my lab after supper then," Washu told him. "You too, Ryoko."

When they finished eating, Tenchi and all the girls went through the door to Washu's lab and found themselves standing on a large, sunny plain that stretched to the horizon in all directions. There were a few large trees and rock outcroppings scattered about. Washu pointed at a nearby tree and said, "Examine this tree closely and memorize exactly how it looks from where you're standing now. Then go over to those rocks there, concentrate on the image in your mind, and picture yourself standing where you are now. When you have that clearly in your mind, imagine yourself jumping back here."

Tenchi looked directly at the tree and tried to memorize exactly how it looked including the way the branches spread out, the texture of the bark, and the color of the leaves. He tried to avoid letting his gaze drift elsewhere and when he was sure he had the image firmly in his mind, he walked to the rocks while focusing on the image of the tree. Then he imagined himself back where he had been and tried to jump without moving. He started to fade out but got excited and lost his concentration. He tried to remain calm and focus on what he wanted. Then he faded out and reappeared exactly where he had been standing before the tree. 

The girls started cheering and hugging him while he rubbed his temples. "That gave me a bit of a headache," he told Washu after a minute.

"It will get easier with practice," she assured him. "That really went quite well for your first effort. Pretty soon you'll be able to do it as easily as Ryoko does."

Tenchi looked at Ryoko and asked her, "How far can you teleport?"

"I don't really know," she replied. "I've always been able to get where I wanted to be."

"What if I'm trying to teleport somewhere and there's something right where I'm materializing?" Tenchi asked next.

"With sufficient practice, you'll be able to tell if something's in the way and adjust your position. That's why you need to take things slow and learn how things feel so you can even pull yourself back if necessary. It's best to start with familiar surroundings like your bedroom until you're more comfortable with the process. You probably noticed that Ryoko doesn't appear all of a sudden. At first, she's out of phase with her surroundings. She can even remain invisible after she solidifies." Washu said. "Try teleporting a few more times now."

Tenchi did as instructed and each time it was a little easier. Then Ryoko asked, "Why did you want me here?"

"I wanted you here in case Tenchi needed a demonstration," Washu said. "It also might have helped if you described what it's like when you teleport. So, just for comparison, what does it feel like when you teleport?"

Ryoko thought for a bit and said slowly, "I guess it feels like my mind is going somewhere and my body just follows."

"I always knew you were out of your mind," Aeka said laughing. "This proves it."

Tenchi grabbed Ryoko's hand, squeezed it a bit and said, "That's sort of like it felt for me too. Let's go back to the house now and watch TV."

As they were heading for the door, Ryoko whispered to Tenchi, "I am going to get back at her for that."

"I know, but try to keep the damage to a minimum," he replied just as quietly.

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Tenchi was up the next morning even before Sasami. He grabbed some leftovers for a quick breakfast and headed for the practice area where his grandfather was already waiting. They went through several katas and sparred for a bit.

Tenchi was being pushed back by his grandfather while he blocked a series of strikes towards his midsection with his boken. Suddenly Yosho changed his angle of attack and swung his boken at Tenchi's head. Instead of trying to block the strike, Tenchi dropped to the ground a swung his body around with one leg extended in an attempt knock his grandfather off his feet. Instead, Yosho leaped out of the way as Tenchi quickly got back on his feet and went on the offensive himself. Neither managed to hit the other as they continued back and forth across the practice area.

After practice, Tenchi returned to the house and gathered his things before returning to Nerima. Then he washed up quickly and went downstairs. 

Rea was just coming out of the kitchen with a plate of food and said, "I heard you in the bath and decided to fix you some breakfast."

"Thank you Rea-san, but I already ate. I'll take it with me for lunch though," he told her. "I don't want to be late for school."

"Nonsense!" Rea exclaimed. "You have plenty of time to sit have a little more food before you have to go." Then she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the table. "Sit down and eat." 

"Alright, alright," Tenchi said and sat down. "Good morning Dad," he said to his father who was busy eating while looking at some papers.

"Good morning son," Nobuyuki replied with a smile. "Never argue with Rea. You won't win."

Tenchi silently agreed and found that he had worked up a bit of an appetite after all. 

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Back in Okayama, Mihoshi wandered into the kitchen and found Sasami sitting on a stool and looking very unhappy. "What's wrong Sasami-chan?" she asked.

"I fixed a nice lunch for Tenchi-niichan but he left without it," the little girl said sadly.

"That's too bad," Mihoshi told her. Then she smiled brightly and said, "Maybe I could take it to him."

"Oh! Would you?" Sasami exclaimed excitedly, "Thanks Mihoshi-oneechan. But he might have left for school already. Do you think you can find it?"

"Just leave it to me," Mihoshi said confidently. Then she took the box with Tenchi's lunch and headed for Washu's lab. She wandered around for a bit opening doors and calling for Washu to help her. Eventually she found a door that led to a small room with a few boxes in it. She looked around some more and found Tenchi's bedroom. She smiled when she saw a large picture of their family on the wall. "This must be the right place," she thought. "It should be easy to find Tenchi-san now."

Once she got outside, she looked around for someone to ask directions from and not seeing anybody, she took off in a random direction. Soon she spotted a young man looking about who was wearing rough clothing and had a checked bandana on his head. "Excuse me," she said as she approached him, "could you tell me how to get to Furinkan High School? I'm lost." When the young man just stood there with with a confused look on his face, Mihoshi assumed he didn't know and continued looking for someone to give her directions. Little did she know that the first person she asked was one of the few beings on the planet who had a worse sense of direction than herself, Ryouga Hibiki. 

Soon she spotted a boy of about Tenchi's age wearing a school uniform. She rushed up to him and asked, "Can you tell me how to get to Furinkan High School? I'm lost."

The boy with his mouth hanging open pointed to his left and when Mihoshi turned to look, she spotted the sign for Furinkan High. "Oh," she said. "Thank you so much." She then bowed, hurried through the gate and spotted Tenchi with a group of other students.

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During the time that Mihoshi had been trying to find the door that led to Tenchi's home in Nerima and get to his school, he had made his way to Furinkan High. As soon as he got through the gate, Tenchi was confronted by Ranma, in girl form, who said, "I went to your house Saturday and when I jumped over the wall because no one came to the gate, a bunch of stuff fell from the sky and nearly killed me. What's the big idea?" 

Tenchi silently screamed, "Washu!" while trying to come up with a plausible explanation. Then he decided that the best defense was a good offense and demanded, "What were you doing, going onto private property without permission? You should have realized that no one was home and left."

Before Ranma could say anything else, there was an excited shout of "TENCHI!" and everyone turned to see an incredibly, beautiful, blue-eyed blond whose attire, consisting of a pink tank top and khaki pants, did little to conceal her magnificent figure. She rushed forward and stumbled, falling into Tenchi's outstretched arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "I'm so glad I found you. Tenchi-san."

"Mihoshi-san? What are you doing here?" Tenchi asked as he took Mihoshi's arms from around his neck and steadied her on her feet while his fellow students stood there with their mouths hanging open.

"Oh, you see, you forgot your lunch and I wanted to bring it to you, but I got lost and had to find someone to give me directons, and when I did find someone I was here and then I saw you, so here's your lunch," she said as she handed him the box.

"Thank you Mihoshi-san, but you didn't have to go to so much trouble. I could have gotten something here," Tenchi told her.

"It was the least I could do considering everything that you've done for me," Mihoshi replied with a smile.

Before she could say anything else, another beautiful woman with short greenish hair and gray eyes, and wearing a white shirt and blue jeans came up and grabbed her by the arm. "Mihoshi!" she exclaimed in an angry voice. "You should know better than to bother Tenchi-sama when he's at school. You could cause him all kinds of trouble."

Trouble came in the form of Tenchi's diminutive English teacher, Hinako-sensei, looking rather comical as she ate a large chocolate icecream cone, who came running up and demanded, "What's going on here? Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Mihoshi opened up her mouth to speak but before she could utter a word, Noike clamped a hand over her mouth and said, "I'm sorry for the disturbance. This is Mihoshi Kuramitsu, a friend of Tenchi Masaki's and I'm Noike Kamiki, his fiancee. We'll be going now. Bye Tenchi-sama." and with that she hurried Mihoshi off the school grounds with her hand still firmly clamped over the blond's mouth.

In the stunned silence that followed, you could have heard a jaw hitting the ground. Tenchi sighed heavily and proceeded to walk into the building with slumped shoulders. When he got to his room and sat in his chair, he looked up and said, "Why me?" Then he dropped his head onto his desk and waited for the inevitable.

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Author's notes: There's usually a bucket of cold water handy when Ranma wants to change into a girl. If you want to read a really funny story about a crazy security system, read "The All-New Tenchi Muyo" Vol. I, "Alien Nation."

I think I'm starting to get the feel of how to do this story. Every once in a while, something silly, stupid, or zany has to happen. A lot of really stupid things happen in Nerima. 


	5. Chapter 5

Tenchi Goes to Nerima

Chapter V

I still don't own these characters and I'm still not doing this for profit.

Tenchi sat at his desk, with his head on his arms, thinking, "Why did they have to come to my school? Everything was going so well. Why did Noike have to say she was my fiancee? It's going to be just like it was back in Kurashiki; I just know it."

Soon enough, there was the sound of an approaching stampede and the doorway became crammed with at least a dozen boys struggling to get in. Hiro, who was the first to get through the bottleneck, grabbed an unresisting Tenchi by the arm and pulled him to his feet demanding, "Who was that hot blond? How do you know her? Get me a date with her!"

Atsushi pushed him away saying, "I thought you were in love with Shampoo." Then he turned to Tenchi and said, "Come on Tenchi, who were those girls, and how did you get engaged to one of them.?"

Tenchi sighed and said, "I met Mihoshi over a year ago and helped her with some trouble she was having. I first met Noike a few months ago. That's when I was told that I had been engaged to her since I was about six years old."

"How did that happen?"

"What kind of trouble was she in?"

"Sounds just like Ranma!"

"Get me a date with the blond!"

"QUIET!" shouted Washu as she strode into the room. "Those of you who don't belong here, get to your own rooms. Those of you who do belong here, get to your seats, NOW!"

The crowd of boys paid no attention as they continued to question Tenchi. Suddenly, Washu seemed to assume gigantic proportions as she loomed over them and said in a voice that shook the room, "I SAID NOW!" Then the terrified boys quickly moved to their seats or out the door.

"Next time I tell any of you to do something, I expect that I won't have to repeat myself," Washu said sternly as she looked about the room, glaring at each boy in turn. She continued to stand there, glowering, as the room slowly filled with students and the last bell rang.

Before she left to go to her first class, Tenchi raised his hand and said, "Washu-sensei, I need to talk with you about something very important."

"Very well, Tenchi-kun, come to the teachers' room at lunch time," she said.

The morning went badly for Tenchi since Hiro took every opportunity to plead with him for a date with Mihoshi. When lunch time finally came, he practically flew to the teachers' room. Then he knocked on the door and waited impatiently.

"I see you wasted no time in getting here," Washu said from directly behind him.

"We need to talk, now," he insisted quietly. When she just stood there looking at him with a slight frown on her face, he said, "Please."

Then she smiled brightly at him, opened the door and said, "All you had to do was ask."

When Tenchi followed her through the door, he found himself in a sunlit rose garden with a white gazebo in the middle and said, "This doesn't look like any teachers' room I've ever seen before."

"After the morning you must have had, I thought a pleasant garden atmosphere would help to calm you down. Besides, you would probably prefer a little privacy for our chat." Washu said as she led him to the gazebo which had two white wicker chairs with brightly colored cushions and a table that had a tea service and a selection of confections and fruit on it. "Sit down and relax a bit," she continued as she poured him a cup of tea.

Tenchi did as he was told and considered how best to talk with Washu about his concerns as he drank his tea. Finally he said, "I'd like to talk with you about the security system you installed at my house. Dropping things, like anvils, on people's heads will attract a lot of attention that I'd rather not have to deal with."

"Hey! I very carefully avoided actually dropping that anvil on Ranma-kun's head I'll have you know. I even have the video to prove it." At that, Tenchi found himself sitting next to Washu in a large movie theater. "Popcorn?" Washu asked as she handed him a large tub of the ubiquitous, movie snack.

Then the lights dimmed and on screen appeared Ranma Saotome jumping over the fence to Tenchi's home in Nerima. Tenchi couldn't help laughing as he watched the show. At the conclusion, he started to get up but Washu held his arm and said, "Don't go yet. The next movie is a romantic comedy."

"I don't think I'll have time to watch it before my next class," Tenchi told her. "Maybe we could watch it on the weekend."

"Oh Tenchi-sama! I'm so happy that you've asked me to go on a date with you!" Washu exclaimed as she glomped him. At that, Tenchi's brain shut down and before he could recover, they were back in the gazebo.

Tenchi tried to figure out how he had asked Washu out, and how to get out of it. Then he gave up and said, "Thank you for the tea and snacks Washu-sensei, and the funny movie, but I'm sure that you could devise a security system that would deter people from trespassing without waving a flag that says 'aliens are here.' I don't know how I'm going to explain what happened to Ranma as it is."

"There's nothing to explain," the red-haired genius replied. "Weird things happen around here all the time. And people are very good at finding explanations for strange things that fit their world view. You can truthfully tell Ranma-kun that you weren't home when he came on Saturday and that when you got back there was no sign that anything strange had happened."

"If things keep falling from the sky whenever an uninvited visitor goes to my house, people will start asking questions about it," Tenchi insisted.

"Alright, I'll make some changes to discourage people without being so obvious about it," Washu relented

"Thank you Washu-sensei," Tenchi said as he stood up and bowed. "I'd better get back to my classroom now. Lunchtime will be over soon. Could you open the door, please?" The door appeared behind Washu as she got up and they walked through into the hallway of the school.

"You still have fifteen minutes for eating your lunch," Washu said. "It wouldn't do to let it go to waste."

"Wasting a meal prepared by Sasami would be a crime," Tenchi said happily before going back to his home room.

As soon as Tenchi entered the room, Hiro pounced and said, "Please! Help me to get a date with Mihoshi."

"That would be difficult since she lives near Kurashiki," Tenchi told him. "She was visiting and is probably back there already. Anyway, I'd like to eat my lunch now so please let me get to my desk."

"At least give me her phone number," Hiro persisted.

"I'll tell you what," Tenchi replied. "Write her a nice letter and I'll see that she gets it, if you let me eat my lunch in peace. Okay?" Then he pushed Hiro aside, went to his desk and started eating.

The rest of the day passed without any major weirdness. Kuno wasn't at the meeting of the kendo club because he had gotten too friendly with Akane earlier and was in the nurse's office getting patched up, but the other members of the kendo club asked a lot of questions about Mihoshi and Noike, and how he knew them.

"Look," he finally said. "Shouldn't we be talking about our strategy for the upcoming tournament?"

"Yes!" agreed Akane. "I don't think we'll have any trouble beating any of the teams that will be there except the one from Seisyun."

"Oh no!" Naoki exclaimed. "I didn't know they'd be competing."

"How good are they?" Tenchi asked.

"The team itself isn't that good." Akane told him. "It's their cheerleaders, especially Mariko Konjou, that could cause us problems."

Tenchi just looked at her for a few seconds before saying, "Now I'm confused. How could cheerleaders keep us from winning?"

"Mariko is a martial arts cheerleader. She even attacks the members of opposing teams so that her team can have an easy win," Akane said.

"Martial arts cheerleaders!" Tenchi exclaimed. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger around here. Oh well, does anyone have any idea how we can deal with them? Do we have any cheerleaders of our own?"

"One time when our school competed against them, Ranma took her on," Akane said. Then she proceeded to tell Tenchi what had happened.

"I don't know what I find harder to believe; all the crazy techniques, or that Mariko actually had a crush on Kuno," Tenchi said after she finished.

"It happened just the way Akane said and I still can't believe she had a crush on Kuno," another team member said.

"Do you think Ranma would be willing to cheer against her at the tournament?" Tenchi asked.

* * *

"I'll talk to him about it right after the meeting. Ranma might want to beat her again," Akane said. "She really made him angry with all her dirty tricks."

Afterwards, as he was walking home, Tenchi sensed trouble ahead and stopped. Then right where he would have been if he had continued, a tiny old woman with long white hair suddenly appeared who was balancing on a staff. She took several swipes at Tenchi with her staff which he dodged easily. Then she stopped. "You've got good reflexes, boy," she said with a smile that was anything but pretty on her wrinkled face.

"Thank you Cologne-san," Tenchi replied and bowed.

"So, you know who I am?" she queried.

"I doubt anyone else in Nerima fits your description," Tenchi told her with a satisfied smile.

"Well now," she said and laughed. "You got Ranma to tell you about all his techniques without revealing anything about your own. Yes?"

Tenchi laughed himself and said, "Ranma didn't tell me much about his abilities, or you, that I hadn't already found out from my classmates."

"So, you've got a brain and you know how to use it. You're a very interesting puzzle and I like solving puzzles. I'm going to enjoy watching Ranma as he tries to get the best of you. I might even help him a bit." With that she bounded away using her staff like a pogo stick.

* * *

"She seems to enjoy causing mischief as much as Grandpa does," Tenchi thought as he watched her disappear.

Ranma caught up to Tenchi as he neared his house and said, "Akane told me that you'll be going up against Seisyun in the tournament and that you want me to cheer for Furinkan," he said.

"Will you do it?" Tenchi asked him.

"I might if you tell me about your fighting techniques," Ranma replied. "Do you have any special attacks like my moko takabisha?"

Tenchi sighed and said, "Yes, but I prefer not to use them unless it's a matter of life or death because they can be very destructive. I wouldn't even use them if I was having a match with you."

"Why not?" Ranma asked.

"I'm a lot faster than you, and I'm also very strong and tough," the other boy replied. "I wouldn't have to hit you with a sledgehammer to beat you."

"Would you show me what you can do?" Ranma asked.

"No," Tenchi replied firmly. "I haven't learned enough control and I could cause a lot of damage."

"How much damage? You couldn't destroy a mountain, could you?" Ranma asked dubiously.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Tenchi replied. "If you don't want to be a cheerleader for us, there are other people I could get to do it." By this time, they had arrived at the gate to Tenchi's house. When Tenchi opened it, a cat meowed and Ranma took off. When he looked down, Tenchi saw a reddish, brown cat with a white mark on it's forehead. "Chibi?" Tenchi asked in astonishment as he knelt down to pick up the small animal which purred as he petted it. "You look just like Chibi. Where did you come from?" Then he saw a collar with a tag on it that said "Chibi II" and had his phone number on it.

When he carried the cat inside, he was met by Washu who smiled and said, "I thought a cat would be a good way to keep Ranma-kun from trespassing again. Do you like her?"

"Yes," Tenchi said. "She looks just like Chibi did. Thank you, Washu-sensei."

Washu smacked Tenchi over the head with a fan and said, "Outside of school, you will address me as Washu-chan! Got it?"

"Got it Washu-chan," he replied instantly.

"So, did your afternoon go better than the morning did?" she asked him.

"A little," Tenchi told her. "Let's go to the kitchen and I'll make us some tea. I think I can find some fish for Chibi as well." as they went, Tenchi continued, "Hiro stopped pestering me after I told him that if he stopped bothering me and wrote Mihoshi a letter, I'd give it to her. Kuno wasn't at the kendo club meeting, so that went pretty well except for all the questions the guys asked about Mihoshi and Noike. I had a brief encounter with Cologne after school. She may cause more problems than I originally thought. Then Ranma said he might be a cheerleader for the kendo team if I told him about my fighting techniques."

"Ranma as a cheerleader! Why?" Washu asked.

"Because a martial arts cheerleader for one of the other teams might try to interfere and even attack members of our team," Tenchi told her.

"Seems like the tournament could be worth watching after all," Washu said as she put some cups on a tray. "What would you like to have with our tea?"

"There are some cookies in that corner cabinet and there's a container of grapes in the refrigerator," Tenchi replied.

By the time Washu found the items and put them on the tray, the tea was ready and Tenchi carried the tray into the dining area. They sat down and as Washu poured their tea she asked, "What did you tell Ranma about your abilities?"

"I told him that I do have some powerful techniques but that I don't want to use them because I don't have enough control to keep from causing a lot of damage. I really shouldn't have said anything at all about it. He might do something crazy to try to get me to show him what I can do," he said.

"Well then," Washu said. "It's time you learned to control your power enough to throw a small ball of energy at will instead of waiting for an emergency and going overboard. If you can keep a blast small, most people seeing it will mistake it for a ki attack."

"And what about the people who don't mistake it for a ki attack?" Tenchi asked. "Could I learn to do something like Ranma's moko takabisha instead?"

"Yes," Washu replied. "But it would take a while to learn to do it without your hyperdimensional power getting in the way. To be safe, you have to learn to control your power and restrict it when you need to.

"Part of the purpose of the exteriors for royal tree ships is to limit their power so that a blast doesn't accidentally destroy a planet, right?" Tenchi said. "Could you make a limiter for me to keep my power in check?"

Washu smacked him over the head again with her fan and insisted, "You have to learn to control your power yourself! Besides, I don't think there is an artificial way to limit your power. That's another reason for you to learn to control it better; so that you don't overdo it like you did when you sliced the Souja in half with the light hawk sword."

"It's because I cut the Souja in half that I don't want to use my power!" Tenchi exclaimed. "I could have killed everyone!"

"I thought that was part of the reason that you've been holding back," Washu said with a sigh. "Listen, your power responded to your desire to PROTECT the people you care about. That's why the only one who was killed was Kagato. If you can learn to control it better, you'll be able to use it without fear of causing harm to us or anyone else. You could stop someone like Z or Kagato without killing him... It came in pretty handy that time you, Aeka and Mihoshi were nearly pulled inside a black hole didn't it? And why do you think you were so much stronger and faster than your classmates, even before you first manifested the light hawk wings?"

"I used to think it was because of all the training I do with grandpa, but after some of my experiences, especially what happened when Z attacked, I've come to realize that there's more to it than that."

"Much more. Training alone could never make a human anywhere near as good as you are," Washu assured him. "Part of the reason your grandfather is so strong and fast is his link with his royal tree. He also has some of the most advanced body enhancements anywhere in the galaxy. And he has the benefit of Juraian genetic engineering; genes you've inherited. Your grandfather told you that he was Jurai's champion in both armed and unarmed fighting. Right?"

"He's told me that a number of times," Tenchi replied.

"In addition to all that, there's the seven hundred years of experience he's had learning various martial arts forms on this planet. Everything you know about fighting, you've learned from him, so he's prepared to counter any move you make. But he's been having to rely more and more on the power he gets from Funaho-ki to beat you. You won't learn all his tricks and tactics overnight, but you're able to keep up with him pretty well without a royal tree or enhancements because, without your even being aware of it, your power has changed you and made you stronger, faster and tougher to enable you to cope with him and the other super-powered people you associate with. Now you need to learn how to use that power consciously," Washu concluded.

"Don't you think that gives me an unfair advantage in the kendo tournament?" Tenchi asked. SMACK! "What was that for!" Tenchi demanded as he rubbed his head where Washu had hit him harder than before.

"Do you think I worry about having an unfair advantage over other people? Do you think Ryoko does?" Washu asked. "Do you think Kuno-kun or Saotome-kun would worry about having an unfair advantage over an opponent? Do you think anyone you're going to face in the future will worry about any advantage they might think they have over you? You're going to come up against some very tough adversaries who'll use any means at their disposal, fair or foul, against you and those you care about, and any concerns YOU have about fair play could get them killed. That's another reason for you to learn to control your power; to keep your family safe!"

Tenchi paled as he considered what Washu had said. Could his reluctance to use his abilities really put Aeka and Ryoko at risk? He had always considered them to be powerful enough to take care of themselves in just about any situation. What about the threats Mihoshi, who spent so much of her time on patrol, dealt with? What about his father, Rea and their unborn child? What about the rest of his family? Would someone use them to try to hurt him? A look of determination came over his face and he asked, "Can you set up an area for me to practice safely?"

"Of course. Come to my lab after dinner and it will be ready for you," she told him.

"Practice with Grandpa, learning to teleport, kendo club and now this; pretty soon I won't have any time left to do my homework," Tenchi said.

"Well then, I guess I'd better leave now so that you can get it done. See you later Tenchi-dono," she said and was gone.

* * *

Tenchi sighed heavily before getting up to clear off the table. Then he found some leftovers for his supper, grabbed his pack and trudged up the stairs to his room. Chibi II followed close behind him.

Meanwhile, Ranma went to the Cat Cafe to talk to Cologne. The moment he stepped inside, Shampoo glomped him and Mousse came out of the kitchen to attack him. Knocking out Mousse wasn't very difficult, but getting the ever persistent Shampoo to release him was another matter. Eventually, after enjoying the show for a bit, Cologne sent her great-granddaughter out to make some deliveries and he was able to sit at a table and talk with her.

"The usual crowd of boys was in here today, talking about two beautiful women who are acquaintances of the Masaki boy," she said while standing on the table. "Tell me, do they both really have bigger busts than you?"

"Maybe, but not much," Ranma admitted grudgingly.

"The gossips also said that you were asked to be a cheerleader for the kendo team at their upcoming tournament. Are you going to do it?" she asked.

"I told Tenchi that I might do it if he told me about his special techniques," Ranma replied. "He said that he did have some but he didn't want to show me because they were too powerful."

"Interesting," Cologne said. "I tested his reflexes myself earlier. He really is incredibly fast. You're going to have a very hard time defeating him in a standard challenge. Perhaps you should be a cheerleader for the kendo team so that you can observe and find a way to counter his speed."

"Don't you know any way for me to become faster than him?" Ranma asked. "And how can he be so fast anyway."

"You're already past the limit of what a human should be capable of and I don't understand how that boy can be even faster than you or me. My advice to you would be to observe him in the match and learn his weaknesses," Cologne insisted.

"Alright I'll do it," Ranma said. Then he left after eating a large bowl of shrimp ramen.

"This is going to be fun to watch," Cologne said and laughed.

When Ranma got back to the Tendo's house, he was met by his teary-eyed mother who asked while holding her katana, "Is what Nabiki told me true? Are you really going to be a female cheerleader for the kendo club and fight a girl? That isn't very manly, you know."

* * *

Ranma spent the next hour explaining to her just why it was manly to be a cheerleader.

At the same time, dinner was getting underway at the Masaki residence in Okayama. Between mouthfuls, Mihoshi said, "Oh! I did manage to find Tenchi-san's school and give him the lunch you made for him, Sasami-chan. He seems to have made a lot of friends there. Some of those girls were very pretty, especially one with red hair and another with short black hair."

"WHAT!" exclaimed both Aeka and Ryoko.

"Are those hussies in Tokyo chasing after MY Tenchi," Ryoko continued loudly.

"Calm down, Ryoko," Washu said. "Just because Tenchi's made friends with some girls doesn't mean anything. If they're the ones I think they are, one is a member of the kendo club and the other is going to be a cheerleader for them." Washu didn't bother to mention that one of them was the sex-changing Ranma.

"A cheerleader!" Aeka and Ryoko exclaimed in unison. Then they both got up and rushed to the door to Washu's lab, but they were unable to open it.

"Washu! Open this door," Ryoko shouted.

"Why? So you two can go to Tokyo and cause a lot of trouble?" Washu asked. "I think you need some time to calm down first." Then she quickly finished her dinner and disappeared.

Ryoko shouted, "Washu! Get back here and open this door!" Then she tried the handle again and the door opened up to reveal an ordinary storage closet. Ryoko then called for Ryo-oki. "Rats! I can't get through to Ryo-oki.

"She must be in Washu's lab," Aeka said. "I can't use Ryu-oh either. Now how will we be able to talk to Tenchi about those girls?"

* * *

"Maybe you could use the telephone," Mihoshi suggested helpfully.

Back in Nerima, Nobuyuki and Rea had just arrived home when the phone rang. "I"ll get it," Nobuyuki said as he picked it up. As soon as he put the phone to his ear, he was nearly deafened by female shouting. "Tenchi, I think it's for you," he called up the stairs as he held the receiver at arms length.

Even before he finished climbing down the stairs, Tenchi knew who was on the other end of the phone. He held the receiver as far from his ear as he could while he spoke into the mouthpiece. "Calm down, will you? The cheerleader you're so upset about is Ranma, the boy I told you about who has a curse that makes him change forms, and the other girl is his fiancee. You've got nothing to worry about." He listened for a bit and replied, "None of the girls in Nerima come close to being as pretty as you." He carefully didn't mention any names. "I don't have time to get involved with anyone... How could I have been fooling around if I was up in my room studying?... Didn't I just spend the whole weekend there with you?... I'll come and visit tomorrow. I don't get as much homework on Tuesdays... Yes, I promise... I'll see you then. Bye." When Tenchi hung up the phone and turned around, he found his father and Rea waiting.

* * *

"Well son, would you care to tell us about your day?" Nobuyuki asked.

Later, when Tenchi went through the closet door, he found himself standing next to Washu on a barren, gray plain with a gray sky above. "I made a pocket dimension where you can practice without fear of causing harm to anyone. There's nothing here but you, me and a lot of dirt and rocks."

Tenchi said, "Thank you Washu-chan."

"You're welcome," Washu replied. "Now, I want you to concentrate and focus on forming a tiny ball of energy in your hand. And then send it off into space. Don't worry about hitting anything because there's nothing here to hit.

Tenchi reached inside himself and felt the the warmth of the energy at his command. Then he focused on sending a tiny bit of it into his hand and felt it getting warmer as a glowing ball about the size of a golf ball formed in his outstretched palm and he sent it into the sky.

"See, that wasn't so hard. Now aim one at that rock over there," Washu told him as she pointed.

He did so and a huge explosion nearly knocked Tenchi off his feet. "Ryoko fires off much larger balls than that and they don't cause nearly as much damage!" Tenchi exclaimed. "Why?"

Washu laughed and said, "Ryoko holds herself back a lot. In fact, she deliberately uses visible, light energy to create a showy display without causing a lot of damage. Even when she fought Kagato on the Souja, she held herself back in order to keep from hurting Aeka. By the time Aeka was removed from the battlefield, so much of Ryoko's energy had been drained by the Souja's crystals that she could barely stand, let alone fire off powerful blasts."

"So she never actually tries to hurt Aeka when they fight?" Tenchi asked.

"Oh, she tries to hurt her a little but not much. The same goes for Aeka. But they both know that they'd be in a whole lot of trouble if either one of them wound up more than just a little singed. They fight more to let off a little steam now," Washu replied.

"They sure cause a lot of damage for just letting off a little steam," Tenchi said.

"If they fought for real, they'd cause many times more damage than what happens in a Godzilla movie," Washu told him. "Enough chit-chat. Try firing off a few more blasts."

Tenchi did so while concentrating on keeping them small.

"That's enough for today," Washu finally told him. "You can practice more tomorrow. Once you're better able to control the amount of energy you use, we'll work on using different types of energy. After that, you can learn to fire off a ki blast."

"Thanks Washu-chan. I've had a long day. I'm going to take a quick bath and go right to bed," Tenchi said.

"Want me to tuck you in?" Washu asked suggestively.

"Ah, I think I can tuck myself in," Tenchi replied nervously and began looking for a door.

Washu enjoyed his discomfiture a bit before making the portal appear.

"I'd like you to teach me how to do that for myself. Good night, Washu-chan, and thanks," Tenchi said as he left.

"I'm not going to teach you how to do that. It would be too easy for you to get away from me then," Washu said after he was gone.

Suddenly Tsunami appeared and said, "That went very well. He's learning very quickly. But why did you let him think that some people in Nerima might be able to tell that a small, energy blast wasn't a manifestation of ki? Only someone bonded to a royal tree would be able to tell the difference."

"Because Tenchi-dono has been holding back too much from developing his abilities," Washu replied. "He's much more comfortable with the idea of using ki like Ranma-kun. He doesn't feel so different that way."

"Why not just let him develop at his own pace instead of pushing him?" Tsunami asked. "We can afford to be patient with him."

"And what if someone like Kagato or Z attacked him in Nerima and people were hurt or killed as a result? Tenchi-dono would feel terrible. Sure we could fix all the damage but it would be better if we didn't have to," Washu insisted. "Look, you and Tokimi agreed to let me handle Tenchi-dono's training and I think this is the best way. Alright?"

"For now," Tsunami replied. "But don't push Tenchi-san so hard that he breaks into the hyperdimension before his mind is ready to handle it." Then she faded out of sight.

* * *

Tenchi was almost at school the next morning when he spotted a large crowd of boys waiting at the gate. Suspecting why they were there and not wanting to be bothered, he went to the side of the building and jumped over the wall. When he got to his class, Aimi Fujii and Atsuko Katou were the only other ones there.

"How did you get past the crowd of boys that were waiting for you?" Atsuko asked.

"I jumped over the wall," Tenchi replied. "Why were they waiting for me?" he continued even though he thought he knew.

"They wanted to know more about those friends of yours who were here yesterday," Aimi said, confirming Tenchi's suspicions.

"I thought so," Tenchi replied glumly as he went to his desk and sat down.

"I don't get it," Atsuko said as she followed him. "Most guys would want to brag about all the pretty girls they know. Why don't you?"

"Because a lot of jealous guys back in Okayama got upset with me for not "sharing" the girls I know with them like they were things to be borrowed," Tenchi told her. "Some of them are just as bad as Hiro. They wanted me to get them dates with them and they weren't at all happy when I wouldn't fix them up. Look, can't we talk about something else? Please?"

"All right," said Aimi. "Is it true that Ranma's going to be a cheerleader for the kendo team?"

"We asked him to, but I don't know if he will or not," Tenchi told her.

"I made a bet with my boyfriend who goes to Seisyun that we'd beat them this time. With you and Akane on our team and with Ranma cheering for us, we'll win for sure; that is if Kuno doesn't ruin it for us again, Aimi said.

"Well if he tries to use an illegal technique, I hope an 'accident' will stop him," Tenchi told her with a grin.

"Oh, Ranma should be able to handle that," Atsuko said and started to giggle.

"Yeah, causing trouble is Ranma's specialty," Aimi added. "I'm surprised that you seem to be getting along with that troublemaker, especially since you beat him at judo."

"What does he do that's so bad?" Tenchi asked.

"He sneaked into the girls locker room wearing a disguise while we were changing. And I don't know how many times he's managed to turn up on the women's side at the public baths. I could talk for an hour about all the trouble he's caused," Aimi said.

"Remember the time our gym class went to the hot springs and he jumped in the water with us?" Atsuko asked.

Tenchi opened his mouth to say something and then thought about some of the times that he had managed to be in the bath at the same time as the girls he knew and turned a bright shade of red.

Aimi saw him blushing and grinned. Then she said, "I guess Ranma's not the only boy around here who's gotten into hot water with the girls."

Tenchi didn't think it would be a good idea to tell them about the time Ryoko carried him to the women's side of his aunt's onsen or the time he rushed to the floating onsen during Kagato's attack, so he said, "Well, there was this one time that we were visiting an onsen run by my great-aunt, and some of the others saw a strange white figure that looked like a ghost. Then my grandfather told us a ghost story that made us all pretty nervous, and later that night, while I was trying to fix an electrical problem, and thinking about all the weird things that had been happening, I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I panicked and jumped out a window right into the water where the girls were bathing."

"I bet they clobbered you for that," Atsuko said and laughed.

"Not exactly," Tenchi said as he looked down.

"What did happen? Atsuko inquired.

"Um, we thought we saw a ghost, the lights went out, and then things went crazy," Tenchi said hastily.

"So, you didn't get clobbered?" Aimi asked suspiciously. "If I'd been there, I would have thrown everything I could get my hands on at you. That's what happens when any of the guys around here winds up in the ladies' side at the public baths; especially that jerk, Ranma.

"Well, I haven't had any real problems with him," Tenchi told her. "What else has he done?"

"It's mostly because of the nasty things he says to Akane that he's a jerk. He constantly calls her stupid, flat chested, un-cute, macho chick, sexless, etc.," Atsuko said. "He's really mean to her."

"But Akane-san told me that the reason Ranma went up against Mariko Konjou the first time was that he wanted to get back at her because her interference with a volley ball game Akane was playing in caused her team to lose," Tenchi countered.

"Well, that's true. Akane was so upset that she cried," Atsuko conceded. "And he does a good job of dealing with Happosai when he tries to steal our gym shorts and underwear."

"And he did stop the principal from trying to force us to have those horrible bowl cuts," Aimi added. "But he still says a lot of stupid things that hurt Akane."

"Well, I've said some stupid things myself," Tenchi replied. Once a friend of mine tore both sleeves off of a summer kimono that had belonged to my late mother and I was so upset that I told her that I hated her. A little girl who overheard and thought I meant her ran off crying and I had to chase after her to apologize. A lot of trouble resulted from that misunderstanding," he concluded.

"Well I can understand your being upset," Aimi said. "My younger brother broke a vase that my grandmother gave me shortly before she died and even though it was an accident, I wanted to strangle him! Why'd she tear both sleeves off anyway? That doesn't sound like an accident"

"The first sleeve WAS an accident. It happened because Ryoko was twirling around in the kimono and caught one of them on a door handle," Tenchi said. "She tore the other sleeve off in order to match it. I guess that's why I lost my temper and yelled at her; because she didn't even seem to care. She did try to sew the sleeves back on for me though."

"Ryoko? Do you have another pretty girlfriend back in Okayama?" Atsuko asked.

Tenchi smacked himself on the head and pleaded, "Please don't tell anyone about her. Things are bad enough already."

"Oh, all right," Atsuko said. "What's she like anyway? Is she as pretty as those other girls?"

"I'll tell you later," Tenchi said. "The rest of the class will be coming in soon. Let's talk about something else now." He thought for a few moments and continued, "Did either of you get that extra credit question on our chemistry test?"

Aimi groaned and asked, "How could Hakubi-sensei have expected any of us to have memorized the structural formula for such a complex polymer?"

"If you had been paying attention in class, you would have heard her hint that it might be on the test," Atsuko told her.

"Well, she also hinted that about a dozen other formulas might be on the test. I only had time to memorize about half of the simpler ones. It's like she thinks hers is the only class we have to study for," Aimi replied.

"Washu-sensei tends to think that anything she's involved in takes precedence over anything else," Tenchi told her. "Just be glad that she didn't ask us to give a detailed explanation."

"Why thank you, Tenchi-kun," said a familiar voice from behind him. "That's an excellent suggestion for the next test."

"Thanks a lot, Tenchi-kun," Aimi and Atsuko said in unison.

"Please, Washu-sensei," Tenchi begged. "Don't do that. You're already giving us college level extra-credit questions. Don't make it even harder."

"If it was easy, it wouldn't be extra credit," Washu replied.

"You shouldn't expect us to do college level work," Tenchi insisted.

I'll have you know that I could write out formulas like that when I was eight," Washu told him.

"But you're the greatest, scientific genius in the universe. That stuff is simple for you. None of us are anywhere near your level," Tenchi replied.

"Well, no one else is either," Washu said. "Tell you what, on the next test, I'll give you an easier extra-credit question than I did on the last one if you agree to do something for me. Deal?"

"Deal," Tenchi said, knowing that somehow he'd probably wind up doing whatever Washu wanted anyway.

Washu smiled as the rest of the class arrived. The other students, who had learned that when Washu grinned like that, it meant trouble for someone, were very quiet until she left the room.

After that, conversation centered on her and what had happened the last time she smiled like that.

The promise of a higher grade had persuaded a boy in their chemistry class to volunteer for a demonstration despite Tenchi's warnings. It had taken three days for the purple color to fade from his face and hair. His irate parents spent five minutes in conference with Washu and left looking like they had witnessed the end of the world. The family moved away soon after.

At lunch time, Tenchi again hurried out to speak with Washu. When he stepped through the door to the teachers' room this time, he found himself in the same garden as before, but now it was sunset and the sky was beautifully colored with shades of lavender and magenta.

"Would you care for some tea or would you like something a little bit stronger?" Washu asked him.

"Just tea would be fine," Tenchi replied nervously.

"Have some of these cookies. I made them myself," Washu continued.

"Thank you very much," Tenchi responded. Tenchi continued to make small talk with Washu while he wondered what she wanted him to do. Finally he just asked, "So, what do you want me to do for you?"

"Nothing much," she replied. "I just thought it would be nice if along with the movie, you took me out to dinner as well."

"Just dinner and a movie? No tricks or games?" Tenchi asked.

"How did you ever get to be so suspicious?" Washu asked with a hurt look on her face. "I just want to spend a nice evening with you. It's been ages since I've gone out on a date with a handsome young man. I promise to behave myself. How about it?"

One thing that Tenchi knew about Washu was that she kept her word, so he said, "I would be honored to be your escort for the evening, Washu-sensei. But won't Ryoko and the others be upset if they find out?"

Don't worry about it. We'll just do a little time traveling and they won't even realize we've gone anywhere."

"Well, what they don't know won't get the house blown up again. I'd better get back to my room now or I won't have any time left to eat my lunch," Tenchi said as he stood up.

"We could do a little time traveling now, which would give us more time together, and still leave you enough time to eat your lunch," Washu replied in a seductive tone.

"No," Tenchi said quickly. "I don't think it's a good idea to do that a lot and I really should be getting back."

"Oh, all right," Washu said. Then the door appeared and Tenchi made a fast getaway after thanking Washu again for the tea.

* * *

When Tenchi got back to his class, he was bombarded with questions concerning the deal he had made with Washu, but he just went to his seat and began eating.

In gym class that afternoon, the boys were put through a rigorous series of exercises designed to increase strength and stamina, and then they had to run an obstacle course; about half the class couldn't finish. Tenchi, Ranma and five other boys were the only ones still able to stand when they were done. Most of the other boys recovered after about five minutes and they headed for the showers when the teacher dismissed them.

Ranma came up to Tenchi right after they showered and dressed to tell him that he had decided to be a cheerleader for his team.

"I still have the outfit I wore the last time but maybe I should get a new one since my bust got bigger," Ranma said with pride.

"Okay," Tenchi answered slowly while surprised that any boy would brag about something like that. "It's still a couple of weeks until the tournament, so you have plenty of time to get one. It does seem odd to me that you're so comfortable about being a girl sometimes though."

"I've had over a year to get used to it and it does come in handy sometimes," Ranma replied.

"In what way?" Tenchi asked.

"Cute girls can get a lot of free eats from food stalls. I have to go to other neighborhoods now though since the locals wised up," Ranma replied. "There are also times when a disguise comes in handy for other purposes, like learning how Ryouga did one of his attacks."

"I've heard about him," Tenchi said. "My classmates told me that he's one of the few people who can beat you and that he has a terrible sense of direction."

"I've beaten him more often than he's beaten me! I'm a much better fighter than him and a lot faster, but he's so tough that it takes a lot to hurt him," Ranma insisted. Just then the bell rang and the boys quickly left.

* * *

During the kendo club meeting, Tenchi finally got to see Kuno use his hundred strikes attack to cut a wooden post in half, and he was very impressed, even though he was fast enough to evade it.

"How did you learn that technique?" Tenchi asked him.

"A wise old samurai who recognized my skill and nobility taught it to me," Kuno replied pompously.

"He told me that it was a technique that had been handed down in his family for generations," another boy said softly to his friends.

"That really is a great technique but if you use it in the tournament, you'll be disqualified and we could lose," Tenchi continued. You're such a great swordsman that you should be able to win your matches without it." Tenchi was beginning to learn how to manipulate the loony kendoist.

"Those judges are just jealous of my incomparable abilities," Kuno replied. "There was nothing in the rules that said that the hundred strikes technique couldn't be used before and if I choose to use it in the match, I will," he concluded stubornly. Of course, it could still be very difficult to get through to Kuno.

Shortly after that, Akane took a bag of cookies out of her satchel and said hesitantly, "I've been trying very hard to learn how to bake cookies with the help of Ranma's mother. She told me that this is my best batch so far. Would anyone like to try one and tell me what you think?"

Most of her teammates backed away warily but Tenchi took one and after taking a small bite he said, "It's not too bad but they are somewhat burned on the bottom and I think you used too much vanilla and salt."

"I was nervous and my hands were shaking while I was measuring things and then I was in a hurry for them to be done and set the oven temperature too high," she said sadly. "Maybe I should just stop trying to learn how to cook."

"Don't give up," Tenchi told her. "I've eaten food that was a lot worse than this." Then to the astonishment of everyone else, he finished eating the cookie and asked for another.

During the rest of the meeting, Tenchi's teammates watched him furtively, looking for indications of food poisoning.

* * *

As soon as the meeting was over, Tenchi told everyone that he had to hurry home because there were some important things he had to take care of and he took off. He was greeted by Chibi II as soon as he opened the gate at his home and he carried her with him into the house and through the door that would take him to Washu's lab. The eccentric scientist, back in her adolescent form, was standing there with her arms folded and her right foot taping impatiently.

"Why didn't you teleport directly to your bedroom?" she asked.

Tenchi sighed and said, "I didn't think of it. Anyway, it's two hundred miles from Tokyo and I've had a long day."

"You teleported a lot farther than that when you stopped the Chobimaru's cannon blast," Washu replied.

"I did that because I had to. It was as if something inside of me took over and there I was," Tenchi told her.

"NO! You took control of your power because you wanted to protect the Earth. There's nothing you can't do if you really want to," Washu told him.

"Well, what I want to do now is get to the house and explain a few things to Aeka and Ryoko, and for that, all I need to do is go through that door," he said as he turned towards it, turned the handle, and wound up right back at the house in Nerima. "One of these days I'm going to turn the tables on Washu," Tenchi thought in exasperation. But he focused on the image of his room back in Okayama and teleported there anyway.

When he climbed down the stairs, he found eight females (his grandmother, Airi, was visiting) and his grandfather waiting for him at the dinner table. He exchanged greetings with everyone and introduced Chibi II. Sasami rushed back into the kitchen to get her some fish and Tenchi went to wash his hands before sitting down to eat. Aeka and Ryoko were especially well mannered while they ate, which put him on edge; he knew they were plotting something together which meant a great deal of trouble; probably for him. He kept looking from one to the other warily as he ate.

Finally Ryoko started the inquisition by asking, "So tell me Tenchi, if Ranma is a boy, why is HE a cheerleader?"

Tenchi took a deep breath and began explaining about Mariko Konjou, what happened the last time his kendo team went up against her school and the interference they expected from her during the upcoming tournament. "So you see, the only reason Ranma was asked to be a cheerleader for us was to deal with Konjou-san," he concluded.

"When you told us about Ranma-san," Aeka countered, "I expected his girl form to be some overly, muscled gorilla who needed to shave, not a pretty cheerleader."

"Believe me, even if Ranma's girl form is pretty, he's all guy," Tenchi responded. "All he wants to do is fight. Anyway he has a fiancee." For numerous reasons Tenchi thought it was best not to mention more than one fiancee.

"Ah yes, the pretty girl who's also on your kendo team," Ryoko continued. "Why didn't you tell us about her?"

"I didn't tell you much about the other members of the team, except Kuno, either, did I? She's just a teammate to me; nothing more," Tenchi replied.

"I think Tenchi has been questioned enough about his classmates for now," Yosho finally said. "Let him finish his meal in peace."

"Thanks, Grandpa," Tenchi said. "Why don't you tell me about what's been going on around here?"

"Actually things have been very quiet here," Yosho replied. "Nothing of any note has happened since the weekend."

"How's Seina-kun doing at the GP academy?" Tenchi asked as he turned towards his grandmother.

"It seems that Seina-kun is a magnet not only for bad luck and pirates but lovely young ladies as well. We always knew Kiriko-chan had a soft spot in her heart for him but Amane Kaunaq, and a Wau named Erma have become attracted to him as well. As a matter of fact, Seina-kun and the three girls are currently living in the same house while he gets used to his body enhancements," Airi told him.

"A Wau? I've seen some of them on TV. I wouldn't have thought they were at all compatible with human types," Tenchi said in surprise.

"They're not as incompatible as you might think," Airi said with a smirk. "Any one of those girls is enough to give Seina-kun nosebleeds but the three of them together are almost too much for the poor boy to handle."

"I know how he feels," Tenchi said as he looked around at his admirers. "So what's his training like?"

"Well, they did go on a training cruise a while ago. OH! This might interest you. Seiryo Tennan was in command of the ship and not surprisingly, since Seina-kun was on board, they were attacked by pirates and Seiryo was taken prisoner. AND Seiryo's father has been trying to bargain down the pirates' ransom demands," Airi told him.

"Now that's funny!" Ryoko struggled to say as she laughed.

"I'm glad he won't be bothering me again for a while," Aeka added.

"You needn't worry about that," Airi said. "He's renewed an old crush he had on Amane-chan; yet another reason for him to dislike Seina-kun."

"So, what's Seina-san going to do in the next phase of his training?" Mihoshi asked.

"We're putting him in the pirate decoy squad," Airi told her. "He'll be working to draw them away from trade routes and into ambushes."

"That sounds very dangerous!" Tenchi exclaimed.

"There's danger in all field assignments within the GP. No matter what assignment he's given he'll attract pirates. We might as well make the best use of his talents," Airi said. "Stop thinking of Seina-kun as a little boy; he's growing up very fast, and he's already shown himself to be quite resourceful and determined."

Tenchi was still worried about his young friend and wondered what he could do to help him.

* * *

Once everyone was done eating and thanked Sasami and Noike for yet another marvelous meal, Tenchi helped them wash dishes and then they joined the others in the living room.

"Washu-dono told me that you're learning to use your abilities. What have you learned so far?" Airi asked her grandson.

"I've been learning to teleport and throw energy blasts," Tenchi told her. "That's about it so far."

"Why don't I teach you how to fly!" Ryoko exclaimed excitedly. "It's a lot of fun; you'll love it!"

Tenchi was about to say no but the hopeful look on Ryoko's smiling face told him how eager she was and then he started to imagine what it would be like to fly with her. A smile formed on his face and he said, "I'd like that, Ryoko. But I want to get better at teleporting and firing energy blasts first."

"Well, at the rate you're learning, you'll be a pro in no time," Washu said.

"Why don't you show us what you can do, Tenchi-sama?" Aeka asked.

"Alright," Tenchi said as he got up. He concentrated on where he wanted to go and disappeared. Then he returned a few moments later and gave Aeka a rose that he had picked in the greenhouse.

"Thank you, Tenchi-sama," she said blushing.

"Well done, Tenchi-chan," Airi said. "You're a very quick learner. I'm sure you'll have no trouble when you get to the academy. Have you decided what you want to study?"

"No. I think I'll take some aptitude tests like Tennyo did first to find out what I might be suited for," was his answer.

"Have you ever thought about joining the GP? It would be a very, good way of using your abilities to help people," Airi told him.

"Seto-sama might have her own plans for Tenchi you know," Yosho told her.

"Well if you ask me," Ryoko put in, "Seto has interfered too much in Tenchi's life already!"

"Do you want to tell her that, Ryoko?" Yosho asked.

Ryoko cringed a bit at that, and then she sat up straighter and said, "If I have to; YES!"

A heated discussion started then as various people argued about what Tenchi should do and he started to get annoyed at the way they were trying to decide his future. "What I do should be my choice; not anyone else's," Tenchi said as he stood up. "I'm almost eighteen now and I've taken on adult responsibilities." He looked at his grandfather and continued, "You arranged for me to go to school in Nerima and signed me up for the kendo club without even asking me. I know you thought it was for the best but don't you think I'm capable of making my own decisions by now?"

"Of course, Tenchi," Yosho told him. "I'll be honest with you. One of the reasons that you've been reluctant to use your abilities is that you don't want to be different from those around you. I thought that dealing with people like Tatewaki Kuno and Ranma Saotome, and all the strange goings on in Nerima would help you to accept your own differences and enable you to control your powers better. Also, you've become too comfortable with things as they are, which has kept you from taking advantage of all the opportunities you have."

"What's wrong with being happy with the way things are now? I love living here, my family and friends here. All of you drive me crazy at times and I sometimes wish for a more normal life, but I wouldn't trade places with anyone else in the universe. I also enjoy farming. I've talked with a lot of people who'd give up their high-paying jobs if they could make a living farming full-time," Tenchi responded. "Didn't you give up a lot of opportunities to live the life of a shinto priest, Grandpa?

"You're right of course," Yosho told him. "It does seem unfair to push you to accept things that I've rejected. But you have so much potential that it would be a shame for you to turn your back on it all."

"I'm not turning my back on it," Tenchi insisted. "I do want to go to the academy and see other worlds, but I doubt that I'd be any happier elsewhere than I am right here on Earth. This is my home and it will always be my home."

Suddenly Ryoko teleported behind Tenchi, wrapped her arms around him and said, "I'll take you anywhere you want to go in Ryo-oki, Tenchi," as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "All I want is to be with you."

Tenchi couldn't think of any words that would be sufficient to reply to what Ryoko said but he grasped her hands even though he expected an angry outburst from Aeka. But before that could happen, Sasami jumped up and said, "I'm happy right here on Earth too! When I lived on Jurai, I was hardly ever allowed to be with kids my own age. Most of my time was spent with my nanny and tutors and I was constantly being told how to act. Now I'm going to school here and making a lot of new friends. And even though I miss my parents, I'd like to stay here at least until I finish high school. Even then, I wouldn't want to return to Jurai without Tenchi-niichan."

"All right, Sasami-chan, if you want to keep going to school here, I'll do what I can to help," Tenchi told her.

"Tenchi-sama," Aeka said softly as she looked into his eyes, "It's difficult for me to express my feelings but I want you to know that you mean more to me than all the things I left behind on Jurai. I get upset with Ryoko because she's able to say all the things I want to say but can't. But I will say this; being with you makes me happy. Whatever you choose to do, and wherever you go, I want to be with you."

Tenchi felt his throat tighten at hearing Aeka's words and he struggled to think of an adequate reply. Finally he said, "Thank you, Aeka-san, Ryoko and Sasami-chan. I have a hard time expressing myself as well. You and everyone else here mean so much to me. You're all fantastic and incredible, and any man would be lucky to have the love of any one of you ladies. I don't tell you often enough how great you truly are and how much I appreciate the way all of you put up with me and my shortcomings... I told Kagato that I'd rather die than forsake any one of you and I feel that even more strongly now than I did then."

"Oh! That was beautiful Tenchi-san," Mihoshi said with tears welling in her eyes. She jumped up with her arms spread out for a hug, but her foot caught on the leg of her chair and she tumbled into Tenchi and Ryoko. Then the three of them wound up in a pile on the floor. "Ow! That hurt."

After the three of them untangled themselves, Yosho stood and said, "Well, I think I'll call it a night and return to the shrine. Would you care to accompany me, Airi?"

"Of course," his wife said as she latched onto his arm.

"Good night, Grandpa, Airi-san," said Tenchi as he straightened his clothing. "I guess I'd better start on my homework now."

"Aw, do you have to shut yourself up in your room all night?" Ryoko whined.

"I'll do it down here if all of you will be quiet and not disturb my concentration," he said as he looked around.

The others agreed so while Tenchi and Sasami concentrated on their schoolwork, Ryoko and Mihoshi read mangas, Washu went over some research data, Aeka sewed, Noike worked on some correspondence and Ryo-oki played with Chibi II.

Once Tenchi and Sasami finished their assignments and Sasami and Ryo-oki went to bed, the other girls went with Tenchi and Washu to observe his practice.

After an hour of it which was frequently interrupted by Ryoko giving advice, Washu said, "That's enough for now Tenchi. You're getting better all the time."

"When I was learning to use my abilities, I relied on my link with Ryu-oh," Aeka added. "You have no such link but you're still progressing at a remarkable rate."

"That's my Tenchi," Ryoko cooed as she wraped herself around him.

After extracting himself from Ryoko's grasp, Tenchi rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and said, "Thanks for the compliments, but I would rather not get into a situation in which I have to use my abilities to fight. Grandpa told me that I should use reason to deal with problems, if at all possible, rather than violence."

"Like it or not, Tenchi, once you get to the academy, you'll encounter people who'll challenge you to fights. It would be seen as a sign of weakness if you tried to talk your way out of them," Washu told him. "They will have enhancements and abilities vastly superior to those of your classmates in Nerima and you WILL need to use your own abilities to beat them.

"I thought that people at the academy would prefer logic and reason over brute force," Tenchi replied. "Wouldn't it be better to talk things over than fight?"

"People at the academy can be just as obstinate and belligerent as anywhere else," Washu told him. "That's why the Neo academy style of fighting was developed; to deal with people like that."

"'Might makes right?'" Tenchi asked. "What if the winner is wrong? It seems to me that you'd rather use reason to persuade other people than fight."

"Since I've never lost a fight and I'm never wrong, the current system works just fine for me," Washu told him.

"Reasoning and negotiating with people enables us to avoid costly conflicts and wars, but you have to be ready to use force or the threat of force when diplomacy fails," Noike added.

"I'd rather use force; it's quicker," Ryoko said. "Diplomacy is sooo boring."

"The use of force often provokes retaliation and results in escalating reprisals," Aeka told her.

"Like your fights with Ryoko!" Mihoshi added helpfully.

"MIHOSHI!" Aeka yelled. "I only fight with Ryoko when she refuses to be reasonable!"

Before Ryoko could respond, Tenchi quickly said, "Well, it's getting late and I need to get up early tomorrow to practice with Grandpa. Let's get back to the house now and have some cocoa before bed. Washu-chan, would you open the door for us, please?"

When Washu opened it, they all went back to the house for cocoa (some had sake instead). As they were sitting around the table, Tenchi turned to Washu and said, "I'm still worried about Seina-kun. He's so disaster prone that I'm surprised he hasn't been killed. I sometimes wish he had stayed here."

"And what kind of future would he have had then, huh?" Washu asked. "Would he have been able to get or hold a job once he got out of school? On the other hand, his bad luck seems to be an asset with the GP."

"But being a pirate decoy seems to be asking for much, more trouble than he ever had to deal with on Earth. Isn't there something we can do to help keep him safe?" he asked.

"Well, I have been working on a new battleship to try out some ideas I've had," Washu replied. "It's nowhere near as powerful as Ryo-oki, but it's vastly, more powerful than any ship in the GP. It should be able to survive Seina-kun's bad luck and protect him from pirates. The huge number of probabilistic irregularities associated with him would make him a fascinating research subject. Maybe I should add some special sensors to the ship just to study them. How does that sound"

"That sounds great, Washu-chan. Thank you. But please don't do any weird experiments on him, alright?" Tenchi said. "A ship made by you would be a great help to him but I still think he's too young to be in the Galaxy Police."

"Really, Tenchi-dono. He's almost sixteen now, isn't he? That's the age you were when you fought and killed Kagato. Anyway it's not like he's going to be all by himself out there. He's going to have experienced crewmates with him and other ships ready to ambush the pirates...Like your grandmother said, 'Stop thinking of Seina-kun as a little boy,'" Washu told him. "I don't think it's a good idea to help him too much. He'll never do anything on his own if he's not allowed to take risks."

"Tenchi snorted into his cocoa thinking that just walking on a sidewalk was risky for Seina but he said "Alright, Washu-chan, I'll try to stop thinking of him as a child." Then he finished the last of his drink and stood up. "Well, I've had a busy day and I'll have another busy day tomorrow so I'm going to bed now. Good night everyone."

Numerous voices responded in kind as the others stood up themselves.

* * *

Early the next morning Tenchi ate a light breakfast before practice with his grandfather and then teleported back to his room in Nerima. He was disappointed to find that his father and step-mother had already left for an early morning meeting. He sighed heavily as he fed ChibiII and toyed with the breakfast that had been left for him. Then he said, "You know, Chibi, I thought that when I came here with my dad and Rea-san, I'd get to spend more time with him, but he's so busy with meetings and such, and I'm spending so much time back in Okayama that I hardly get to see him at all." Chibi looked at him and meowed. Then she jumped onto Tenchi's lap and continued to meow until he bagan to pet her. Soon it was time for him to leave for school and he headed out the door.

* * *

Things were quiet when he arrived at Furinkan High that morning and when he got to his room he noticed that none of the other boys were there yet. Not thinking much of it, he went to his seat and started to go over some of his homework. The girls were gathered in a huddle talking quietly but he didn't pay any attention to what they were saying. After about ten minutes, there was a commotion at the door and Washu came in followed by two very, familiar, looking girls wearing the the standard, school uniforms for girls and a bunch of gawking boys.

Washu looked about the room, smiling broadly, and said, "Class, I'd like to introduce you to two new students: Aeka Masaki and Ryoko Hakubi, my daughter."

THUNK!

* * *

* * *

Author's notes:

Vols 21 &22 of "Ranma ½" have the cheerleading story. It's filled with some very wacky techniques with very silly names. I hope I can come up with some funny attacks of my own. In the story where he wound up in the hot springs with Akane and some other girls, he actually fell off a cliff.

It took me a while to get to the point where I wanted this chapter to end. Having Aeka and Ryoko going to school with Tenchi will make things more funny and complicated for Tenchi. I changed some dialog and added things which had to be made to fit with what I had already written and some bits had to be left out as a consequence. I prefer the sound of Erma to Elma; would anyone prefer Lyoko to Ryoko? The use of honorifics, such as Washu's use of dono, tells a lot about the characters and their relationships with each other; that's one of the reasons I use them. I don't know much about the use of them by the Ranma characters except that Ranma usually doesn't use them.

Is it actually possible for a boken made of a hard wood like hickory to cut a post made of a soft wood like pine or balsa in half? After all, people can chop boards in half with their bare hands. It's just a matter of applied physics.

I find that I'm having the most fun writing the Washu parts because she's zany but has so many more facets to her personality. Tenchi is like the straight man in a comedy having to cope with the bizarre goings on around him so it's harder to make him funny without the nosebleeds and pratfalls that he grew out of by the time of OVA III but he did have his moments.

Thanks for the reviews.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

I still don't own any of the "Tenchi Muyo" or "Ranma 1/2" characters. Oh well, on with the story.

"Tenchi!" shouted Ryoko.

"Tenchi-sama!" shouted Aeka at the same time.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" they both asked as they rushed towards him.

Tenchi raised his head, looked from one to the other a few times with his mouth trying to form words, and finally said in a shaky voice, "Of course I'm glad to see you. I'm just surprised; that's all." Shocked is more like it, but he was still able to notice that the two of them looked beautiful even in the full skirted jumpers and short sleeved blouses of the girls' school uniforms and that Ryoko had somehow managed to make her ears small. She was also wearing a gold-tone, cuff bracelet to cover up her gem. "Why didn't you tell me that you would be coming to school here?"

"We wanted to surprise you," Aeka told him.

"And I guess we did," Ryoko added with a grin. "I know that you would have preferred it if I could have ditched the princess, but she just had to tag along,"

"On the contrary," Aeka said, "I'm sure that Tenchi-sama would have preferred that you had stayed behind, Ryoko-san."

Before a heated argument could start, Washu intervened and said, "All right, settle down you two. The bell will be ringing soon, so I want everyone to take their seats and be quiet."

Both girls quickly took seats on either side of Tenchi and the rest of the boys in the class scrambled to find seats as close to them as possible. The other girls frowned as they took the seats that were left.

After Washu made a few announcements and left for her first class, the eager boys hurried to introduce themselves before their algebra teacher came in. When one of them touched Ryoko's shoulder, she grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Then she said in a low menacing voice, "Back off or I'll break your arm." He backed off while rubbing the red marks on his wrist, and the rest of the boys backed off too.

A few moments later, Isamu Sato came in. He explained the solutions to some homework problems and then asked the students to solve some equations. About ten minutes later, Ryoko started giggling and murmuring, "Oh, Tenchi." She had fallen asleep.

"Hakubi-kun!" Their teacher said sharply. When she failed to respond, he said louder, "Hakubi-kun! Wake up!"

When she still didn't respond, Tenchi shook her shoulder and said, "Ryoko, the teacher is calling you."

She opened her eyes and asked, "What is it, Tenchi?" as she sat up and smiled sweetly at him. "I was having such a nice dream. Is it time for lunch already?"

"No," he replied. "The teacher was calling you."

"Oh," she said. "What is it, sensei?" she continued as she turned towards him.

"Since you don't think you need to pay attention in class, perhaps you already know enough to solve the equation on the board for y," the teacher replied in an irritated voice.

Ryoko looked at the board for a few seconds and said, "Y equals three x plus five, the quantity squared."

Sato-sensei stared at her for a few moments with his mouth agape and then asked, "How did you get such a simple answer from such a complicated equation?"

Ryoko frowned and looked at the board, then looked at the teacher, back at the board, then at Tenchi who shrugged his shoulders, back at the board again, back at Tenchi and then looked back at the teacher, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Don't ask me."

Most of the class started snickering at that so the teacher turned to Aeka and asked, "Do you have a different answer, Masaki-kun?"

"No, sensei. I got the same answer as Ryoko-san did," she replied.

"Did anyone else get a different answer?" he asked the rest of the class. Several students raised their hands so he turned to Atsuko, "What's your answer, Katou-kun?" Since the answer he got back was a lot longer than Ryoko's, he asked, "How did you get such a complicated answer from such a simple equation?"

"Don't ask me?" she replied.

That was met with even more laughter. "Quiet!" Sato-sensei said sternly. The laughter stopped. "Well, as it turns out, Hakubi-kun's answer is the correct one. Those of you who got a different result need to do more studying. Perhaps I need to give some of you extra homework." Then after giving Ryoko a puzzled glance he continued on with the lesson.

During social studies, Ryoko fell asleep again. But since most of the other students fell asleep as well and the teacher droned on obliviously, it wasn't a problem. Then during English class, Hinako-Sensei fell asleep and the boys tried unsuccessfully to strike up conversations with Aeka and Ryoko.

* * *

When lunchtime came, Tenchi started to open his bento box but Ryoko grabbed his arm and said, "Come on, Tenchi! It's a really nice day outside and I want to get some fresh air." Then without waiting for a reply, she pulled him to his feet and dragged him out the door with Aeka following close behind. Ryoko didn't let go of Tenchi until they reached the roof where she used a small bit of energy to seal the door shut.

"You could get us in trouble by damaging school property like that," Tenchi said in exasperation.

"Don't worry about it, Tenchi," Ryoko replied happily. "I can fix it as good as new when it's time for our next class."

"Well, I hope that you've gotten enough sleep now and will be able to stay awake for the rest of the day," Aeka said. Ryoko just gave her the red eye in reply.

"How did you get enrolled at Furinkan and where are you staying?" Tenchi asked.

"Your grandfather got us admitted with some fake documents and Washu's place has a portal set up for us to use while we're here, though I would rather stay at your house," Ryoko replied. "Now let's find a spot to sit and eat," she said as she dragged Tenchi over to a skylight and pulled on his arm to make him sit down beside her while Aeka sat on his other side. "I've got to tell you, Tenchi, this school stuff is real boring. How can you spend so much of your time sitting in a room and listening to some old geezer drone like that bald guy?"

"I usually don't agree with Ryoko-san," Aeka said, "but that social studies teacher almost put me to sleep. I hope there aren't any more like him here."

"I have to admit that I almost fall asleep in that class as well," Tenchi replied. "He's the most boring teacher I've ever had. Social studies can be interesting with a good teacher but not with him. Anyway he doesn't say anything in his lectures that isn't taken word for word from our text book. And don't worry, the other teachers are better and you certainly won't fall asleep in Washu-sensei's class; at least you'd better not." After that, Tenchi's thoughts went back to why Aeka and Ryoko had decided to enter his school and he didn't like the answer. "Why are you here? I told you that I wasn't fooling around with any of the girls here. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Tenchi-sama. But I don't trust the girls here not to try to seduce you," Aeka said.

"Face it, Tenchi, you're a sucker for a damsel in distress. All a girl has to do is cry and act helpless and you're putty in her hands. That's how we got stuck with Aeka, Mihoshi and Noike," Ryoko told him.

"Oh? I didn't fall for your damsel in distress ploy when you tried to get me to return all your gems, did I?" Tenchi retorted.

"Well, it was my first time trying to use that tactic," Ryoko answered. "Why didn't you fall for it that time anyway?"

"For one thing, I was still angry at you over the way you attacked me at my school," Tenchi replied. "I didn't trust you not to cause even more damage than you already had. But I had to do something because Aeka was blowing things up, so I had to give you back at least one. Besides, you're not the helpless damsel in distress type."

"So that's why it didn't work that time," Ryoko replied.

"And it hasn't worked for you since," Aeka told her. "But really, Tenchi, sometimes you're just too nice and accommodating for your own good. You've always been willing to stand up for other people but you rarely stand up for yourself. You could have refused to come to Nerima. Why didn't you?"

"I was raised to respect and obey my elders. In school I was taught to put the needs of the group ahead of my own and cooperate. In sports I learned that the team comes first. I also thought that I'd get to spend more time with my father, but I haven't seen him much except at breakfast; he's been having meetings most evenings. Just about the only time I ever disobeyed Grandpa was when I released Ryoko and you know what resulted from that," Tenchi said ruefully. "Of course, I'm not at all sorry that I did that anymore; I've met some great people because of it." Then he smiled at both of them.

Tenchi was immediately caught in a bone-crushing hug from both sides.

* * *

As the three of them continued to talk, argue and eat, Washu went to the teachers room and approached the girls' gym teacher. "Hi," she said. "I just wanted to give you a little friendly advice regarding my daughter, Ryoko, and her friend, Aeka; don't ever put them on opposing teams. They're both extremely competitive, especially with each other, and could get carried away. If they do, the damage could be considerable."

"I hardly think I need to worry about that," the teacher, Nobu Suzuki, said. "The walls, floor and ceiling of the gym have been reinforced considerably due to the strength of some of the people here. It would take someone at least as strong as Akane Tendo to damage them. Anyway, all the other girls in the class are quite capable of protecting themselves."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you when they make a few new doors and windows for you then," Washu replied as she walked away.

* * *

When it was almost time for their next class to start, Ryoko unsealed the door and Tenchi led the way to the chemistry lab. They made it just before Washu walked in. Aeka and Ryoko were partnered with each other and everyone started to work on the current assignment.

Tenchi was very glad that his lab partner was a boy. Otherwise Aeka and Ryoko would have thrown a fit. He noticed that Washu was keeping a very close eye on them as they measured and mixed the chemicals. "Good thing too," he thought, remembering what had happened the last time they had tried to prepare a meal together. Sasami had been very upset when she saw what they had done to her kitchen and they had been treated to a rare demonstration of just how angry that little girl could get. Neither Aeka nor Ryoko had dared to set foot inside the kitchen since.

After chemistry, they went to the technical drawing classroom. While the rest of the students got out their pencils, triangles and other tools, Aeka and Ryoko took out their laptops, given to them by Washu, and started punching keys.

"What are you doing?" demanded the teacher, Meuma Umakau, a stocky woman with a salt and pepper mane whose equine features had caused Tenchi to wonder if she was an alien the first time he saw her. "This is a technical drawing class; NOT computer aided drafting. Don't you have the proper equipment for this class?"

"I've always used computers," Ryoko responded. "I even designed and built a floating onsen using a computer."

"I don't care what you did in arts and crafts. In this class we use paper and pencils. Masaki-kun," she continued while turning towards Aeka, "Do you know how to use the proper tools for this class?"

Aeka's face reddened as she answered, "No, Sensei."

"Then I want the two of you to go to the office and have yourselves assigned to another class, because I have no time to waste teaching you what the other students already know," the teacher told them.

Tenchi raised his hand and said, "Excuse me, Sensei, but Aeka and Ryoko learn most things very quickly and I think that they would be able to catch up with the class in a very short time."

"Until they do, there's no place for them in this class. Well, what are you waiting for?" Umakau-sensei said as she glared at Aeka and Ryoko. "Do you need a computer to find your way?"

"Please don't cause any trouble," Tenchi thought desperately as he watched the confrontation.

Aeka and Ryoko turned towards Tenchi with surprised looks on their faces. Then they looked back at the teacher and said in unison, "No, Sensei," as they gathered their things and left.

After they were gone, the class had to listen to a fifteen minute rant about how young people today were relying so much on computers that they were forgetting how to do things without them.

* * *

After the last class was over and clean-up chores completed, the girls went with Tenchi to the kendo club meeting where Kuno, to no one's surprise, said to them, "If you defeat me in battle, I'll allow you to go on a date with me."

Ryoko immediately tossed him out the window and turned to the rest of the boys with a scowl every bit as intimidating Washu's best glower and said, "I'm getting very tired of being bothered by jerks. I'm going to put the next guy who annoys me in the hospital!"

"While I share your sentiments, Ryoko-san, don't you think you should have opened the window before tossing that moron through it?" Aeka asked her.

"Fine!" Ryoko replied. "Next time I'll open a window and YOU toss him out."

Tenchi jumped in at that point and said, "Let's hope that won't be necessary. He probably won't recover until the meeting is over anyway. Why don't I introduce you to everyone?" and he quickly began to do so.

When he got to Akane, Aeka and Ryoko looked her over carefully. Then Ryoko said, "You're kind of short and chunky, aren't you? You'll probably look okay once you lose that baby fat of yours."

As Akane reddened and her battle aura began to glow, Aeka intervened. She bowed and said, "I must apologize for Ryoko-san's comments. She often speaks without thinking. I hope that you'll overlook what she said so that we can all get along together since Ryoko-san and I wish to be cheerleaders for the team." Then she latched onto Tenchi's arm as if to say, "Mine!"

"I should have known that they would want to be cheerleaders but I'd better do something to distract Akane before she picks a fight with Ryoko," Tenchi thought. "Aeka-san and Ryoko are both very skilled martial artists and very fast. They'll be a big help in dealing with the Seisyun cheerleaders. There are more than twenty of them after all and while Ranma is occupied with some of them the others could attack our team members."

All the boys seemed very pleased at the prospect of having two more beautiful cheerleaders to ogle but Akane seemed quite uneasy about it.

* * *

As Akane walked home after the meeting, she was approached by Tenchi's classmates, Aime and Atsuko.

"How did the kendo club meeting go?" Aime asked.

"Alright, I guess," Akane replied. "Those new girls, Aeka and Ryoko, came with Tenchi and said that they wanted to be cheerleaders. Naturally, the boys were all for it."

"They would be," Atsuko said. "Those girls are strange though. They stick to Tenchi Masaki like glue. Ryoko's hair looks like a kabuki wig and she must be wearing contact lenses with that yellow eye color of hers. And no wonder she calls Aeka princess; she uses such formal speech and acts so refined that you'd think she really was royalty. That purple hair of hers is done up in such an elaborate style and did you notice that piece of jewelry she wears on her head? It looks almost like a tiara."

"I noticed it. It seemed to be made of wood," Akane replied.

"That's strange. Oh! Did Kuno act like his usual self and what happened if he did?" Aime asked.

"Ryoko threw him out a window and then she threatened to put the next boy who bothered her in the hospital," Akane told her.

"Wow! She's really got a temper. She threatened to break a boys arm just because he touched her on the shoulder. But if she and Aeka are good fighters, we'll have an easy win during the kendo tournament. Frankly, more people seem to be interested in the cheerleading competition than in the kendo match," Aime said.

"That's true," Atsuko agreed. "You could beat all the kendoists from the other schools all by yourself as easily as you beat Furinkan's team the last time we faced Seisyun, Akane.

"Oh, look!" Aime suddenly exclaimed as she pointed. "Isn't that Azusa Shiratori with Tenchi and those new girls? It looks like she's causing trouble again.

They hurried towards the other group and found Azusa, a girl about their age with long, curly, light-brown hair, struggling in the grasp of Tenchi and Ryoko while crying loudly, "Give me my Fifi! I want Fifi!"

"What happened?" Atsuko asked.

"I don't know," Tenchi replied as he let go of the strange girl to talk to them. "This girl just came up to us and tried to grab Aeka's hair ornament."

"I'm not surprised," Akane said. "She's Azusa Shiratori, a martial arts figure skater, who takes anything she thinks is cute and gives it a French name. She once stole my pet pig, P-chan.

"How do we get her to stop bothering us?" Aeka asked.

"I don't know; it's very hard to stop her when she wants something," Akane replied.

While Tenchi and Aeka were distracted, talking to the three girls, Ryoko, with a gleeful look on her face, let go of Azusa, who made a grab for Aeka's key. Immediately, she was engulfed by an energy field and thrown ten feet.

"Wh- what just happened?" asked Akane in astonishment.

Tenchi, who had knelt down to check on the unconscious girl's condition, turned to Akane and said, "She's just knocked out, so I guess she'll be all right in a few minutes. Could you girls stay with her until she recovers?"

"Yes, please," Aeka added as she bowed. "If I stay, she'll only try to get my key again."

Tenchi grabbed Aeka and Ryoko by their hands and said, "We'd better get going now. We'll see you in school tomorrow." Then the three of them went quickly on their way.

"What just happened?" Aimi asked the other two girls. "Was that some special kind of martial arts technique."

"I don't know," Akane replied. "I've never seen anything like it. Aeka didn't move a muscle but Azusa seemed to have been hit with an electrical shock. I'm going to ask my father if he's ever heard of such an attack."

Then Azusa began to moan and sat up groggily. Soon thereafter, she stood up on shaky legs and looked about with a bewildered expression on her face. Once Akane and the other girls were sure she was alright they hurried on their way to avoid having Azusa try to take possession of anything of theirs.

* * *

Meanwhile as they were walking, Aeka turned towards Ryoko and said angrily, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"It was an accident," Ryoko insisted. "That sneaky girl was just waiting for the right moment to make her move. Funny how she has the same name as your father and the personality of your mother. They both have a weakness for cute things."

"If my mother was anything like her, Ryo-oki would be with her now," Aeka retorted. "She doesn't go around stealing things, but I know someone who does."

Before Ryoko could reply, Tenchi started laughing.

"What's so funny!" Ryoko demanded.

"I'll tell you when we get to my house," he replied. Then he became very serious. "I think we need to start being careful of what we talk about in public; there are some really nosy people around here who could cause us trouble."

"Don't worry about it, Tenchi. I can tell if someone's trying to spy on or attack us," Ryoko said. "I was ready to stop that Azusa girl, wasn't I?"

"I'm just glad she wasn't seriously hurt," Tenchi said. "But I still think that we should be careful about what we say. We'll be less apt to let something slip when we're with other people that way. And if anyone asks how that girl was knocked out, just say it was a special technique of your family that you're forbidden to reveal."

"Very well, Tenchi-sama, and we'll try to avoid talking about sensitive matters unless we're in a secure location," Aeka said.

"Thanks. What class did you decide to take instead of technical drawing?" Tenchi asked after a few moments.

"Sewing," Aeka replied. "I talked with the teacher a little and when I explained that I already knew how to sew well and even made some of my own clothes, she showed me some books about various needlework techniques used around the world. I had no idea that there were so many different styles and variations here."

"That's nice; I hope you enjoy it," Tenchi replied. "What about you, Ryoko? What class did you decide to take?"

"Cooking," she replied hesitantly.

Tenchi stopped in mid stride and all the color drained from his face. Then he exclaimed, "Cooking! Every time you've tried to fix anything more complicated than rice balls, it's been a disaster."

"I know, Tenchi, but I really want to learn how to cook. I'm going to pay attention and do just what the teacher says. I promise."

"I hope so. It took Sasami and me hours to clean up the mess from the last time you and Aeka tried to prepare a meal," Tenchi said.

"I'm sorry, Tenchi-sama. We really did try to follow the recipes but the directions were confusing and we didn't know how to use some of the equipment properly," Aeka told him.

"Yeah, she really made a mess when she tried to use the blender," Ryoko told Tenchi.

"Well you were the one who blew up the microwave oven," Aeka responded.

"The grease fire was all your fault," Ryoko countered.

"It most certainly was not!" Aeka exclaimed. "Besides, you only made it worse when you poured water on it. That's what set off Washu's fire suppression system and everything was sprayed with flame-retardant foam."

Tenchi remembered how he had heard the alarm going off as he worked at the shrine and rushed back to the house to find Aeka and Ryoko covered in foam, and almost fell down laughing.

"It's not funny!" both girls yelled at him.

"I'm sorry, but the two of you really were a sight; you looked like a couple of melting snowmen," Tenchi said.

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get that sticky foam out of my hair?" Aeka asked him.

"Not nearly as long as it took to get that sticky foam out of the kitchen. Anyway, that experience should have taught you two not to use any appliance without reading the instruction manual first," Tenchi replied.

"Well, we had seen Sasami using the appliances and thought we understood how to operate them ourselves, Aeka told him.

A few minutes later they arrived at the gate of Tenchi's house where they were met by Chibi, who rubbed herself against Tenchi's legs until he picked her up and started to pet her.

"Hey, don't start paying more attention to that cat than to me," Ryoko said in an irritated tone of voice as they entered the house.

"Jealous of a little cat, Ryoko-chan?" the suddenly appearing, adult Washu asked. "I had no idea that you were so insecure."

"What are you doing here? Don't you have a teachers' meeting or something to go to?" Ryoko asked.

"I just thought I'd check up on my little girl and find out how your first day of school went. It seems that you had a few problems," Washu replied.

"My only problem was with that stupid teacher who kicked me out of technical drawing because I tried to use my computer," Ryoko told her. "What's her problem anyway?"

"She's a Tsnyrtartek. They don't get along with computers," Washu replied.

"You mean she really is an alien?" Tenchi asked. "I thought she might be when I first saw her but I've seen so many strange looking people here that I wasn't sure."

"What's she doing on Earth anyway?" Aeka asked. "It's supposed to be off-limits."

"There's been a small group of them living on this planet for over three thousand years," Washu told them. "They prefer to live on regressed worlds because exposure to computers and similar devices causes them severe headaches worse than migraines. Of course, computerized devices tend to malfunction badly around them as well."

Tench wondered how the Tsnyrtartek managed to get to Earth if they didn't like computers but he didn't want to chance another long lecture from Washu.

"Why didn't you warn us about her before?" Aeka demanded.

"I had a hard enough time trying to explain to Ryoko why she couldn't be in Tenchi's gym class. You were both so insistent about being in all his classes that I thought I'd let you find out for yourselves," Washu replied. She grinned widely as Aeka and Ryoko started grumbling. Then she turned towards Tenchi. "I've almost finished the ship for Seina Yamada. Come by my lab after supper and I'll show it to you."

"I was planning to wait here until my father got back from work and talk with him for a while," Tenchi told her.

"He's got another late meeting and when he gets back, he'll just want to go to bed. It would be better to wait until morning to corner him, so I'll expect you in my lab in two hours," Washu replied. Then she was gone.

"We might as well get something to eat and get started on our homework before going to her lab then," Aeka said. "Where's the kitchen?"

"Alright, but don't touch the appliances. I think there's enough instant ramen left for us," Tenchi said after a short pause and led the way.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Ryoko replied as she followed him.

"Wow! This kitchen is small; there's barely enough room in here for the three of us to move around, Ryoko said.

"This is bigger than a lot of kitchens in Tokyo. Some apartments don't even have one," Tenchi told her as he filled a kettle and set it on the stove. Then he began to rummage in the refrigerator for leftovers.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Aeka asked.

"Yes, you can get some dishes from that cabinet," Tenchi said as he pointed. "You know, I still find it hard to believe that two intelligent women, like you, have such a hard time cooking. What's the problem?"

"I was never interested in cooking before," Aeka told him. "My mothers, grandmother and Sasami didn't need any help from me. There were always servants around, as well, to get me anything I wanted. I also find your cooking devices confusing. On Jurai, many appliances are semi-intelligent and do most of the work themselves. They even measure the ingredients for you."

"Sasami doesn't seem to have any problems with Earth appliances," Tenchi said.

"My little sister is very talented and enjoys learning how to use them; it's like a game to her. I don't have much ability with domestic things," Aeka replied.

"Then how did you ever learn how to sew and knit?" Tenchi asked her.

"I used to watch my mothers getting fitted for their clothes and I became interested in how they were made," Aeka answered. "I tried to learn how to sew myself and found out that it was something I did have a real talent for. Then, after I arrived on Earth, I learned how to knit from your aunt; I find it very relaxing."

"I really like that sweater you made for me," Tenchi told Aeka, which brought a bright smile to her face. "How about you, Ryoko? Why is cooking so hard for you?"

"I don't really need to eat," Ryoko told him. "Having no real sense of taste makes most foods uninteresting to me. And I don't like following recipes," she continued under her breath.

"Do you think Washu could help you with that?" Tenchi asked her as he continued to check containers..

"I don't want her to do anything to me. She's crazy," Ryoko said firmly.

"I must admit that it's a relief to not have her trying to figure out how I can make light hawk wings anymore. But I still don't understand why you and Aeka have such a hard time whenever you try to cook. I may not be all that great a cook myself, but I can manage to fix a decent meal. Dad and I didn't always have Rea-san around to prepare our meals for us before Sasami took over. I can even fix nabe," Tenchi said.

"Hah! You can fix nabe if someone else gets all the ingredients ready for you," Ryoko told him.

"I could do it all by myself if I wanted," Tenchi insisted.

"Oh yeah? Then this weekend you're going to fix nabe for us without any help from Sasami or Noike. We'll see how good a cook you are," Ryoko responded.

"You're on! It may not be the best but it will be a lot better than either of you could do," Tenchi said.

"Well, at least I've learned how to boil water for tea and instant ramen," Aeka said jokingly.

"But have you learned how to use the microwave?" Tenchi quipped as he put some fried rice in it to warm.

"Why don't we make things a little more interesting with a wager?" Ryoko asked.

"Alright, if what I make isn't edible I'll clean the toilets and do the rest of your chores for a month and if it is you can sweep the steps to the shrine for a month," Tenchi said after a moment.

"Tempting, but how about a date instead?" Ryoko responded.

Aeka started to protest but Tenchi held up a hand and asked, "Why would going on a date with you be a penalty?"

"I just want to go on a date with you and this wager seems like a good opportunity. I've never had a chance to go anywhere with you without Aeka and the others coming along as well," Ryoko replied.

Tenchi considered Ryoko's words. Truth to tell, he was tired of the way they fought over him like he was a toy. He could hardly ever have a conversation with either one without the other coming along and getting upset. It was time to do something about it. "All right then, it's a bet," Tenchi told her. "I might just go out on a date with you even after I win, Ryoko. Maybe you could give me a flying lesson too."

"You will?!" Ryoko cried and hugged him.

"Tenchi-sama!" the visibly upset Aeka exclaimed, "Why would you want to go out on a date with her?"

Tenchi freed himself from Ryoko's grasp, looked at the princess, and said, "Sometimes I feel like I'm walking through the middle of a mine field when I'm with the two of you; one wrong step and BOOM! I like spending time with both of you, but you get so upset when you think I'm paying too much attention to the other that I can't enjoy myself as much as I would if I wasn't afraid that you would start fighting with each other. I'd like to go on a date with you some time without interference from anyone else too." Then he took a deep breath, braced himself for what was to come, and explained how he had been maneuvered into a date with Washu.

"Why that dirty, no-good sneak!" Ryoko cried as Aeka started to complain as well. Then she continued to use some very colorful language to express just how upset she was until the food was ready.

They took their food into the dining area and sat down at the table to eat and do their homework. Tenchi looked at Ryoko's algebra paper and saw that she was just putting the answers down without showing any of the work. "Ryoko, you have to show how you got the answers," he told her.

"Why? As long as I get the right answer, it shouldn't matter how I did it," Ryoko said.

Tenchi thought about it a little and then asked, "What if I was having trouble with a problem and asked you to explain to me how to solve it? Could you?"

"Maybe," Ryoko said after a short pause.

"Look, Ryoko-san," Aeka said as she turned back the pages in Ryoko's book, "First try to get the equation in this form and then the next step after that. That shouldn't be too dificult."

"Aaargh! Why should I bother going to all that trouble if I don't have to?" Ryoko demanded.

"Because if you don't, the teacher might just think you copied the answers from someone else's paper," Tenchi told her.

Ryoko finally started writing out the steps while grumbling about the time it took. After about ten minutes she turned to Tenchi and asked, "What was so funny before when we were walking here?"

Tenchi grinned and said, "I was just thinking that if Misaki-sama had wanted to keep Ryo-oki, she might have adopted her and she'd be Sasami's little sister; she does act like her big sister already."

"She'd be my little sister too then," Aeka said and laughed.

"Princess Ryo-oki; how does that sound?" Tenchi asked.

"I can just see her being introduced to Juraian society dressed in the most elegant robes," Aeka added

"Hmph! I think 'Mom' would have a few things to say about that," Ryoko replied.

"No doubt," Aeka agreed. "Although my mother usually gets what she wants. Oh well, we should be concentrating on our homework." She returned to reading her social studies text but every once in a while she giggled.

Suddenly, Ryoko hit Aeka over the head with her algebra book and said, "Whatever you're thinking about, stop it. I'm the only big sister Ryo-oki needs."

Aeka responded by smacking Ryoko in the face with her social studies book. "Stop it!" Tenchi shouted before things could escalate into all out war. "It's one thing for the two of you to fight back at the house in Okayama where people think we're setting off fireworks, but you can't start blowing things up in the middle of Tokyo. It's almost time to go and we still have a lot of homework to do, so let's just do it."

With a lot of grumbling and a few murderous glares, Aeka and Ryoko got back to their homework.

* * *

Meanwhile, supper was getting underway at the home of the Tendo family. Akane turned towards her father and asked, "Have you ever heard of a martial artist who could produce an electrical shock to stun opponents?"

Soun Tendo paused for a few moments then slowly shook his head, "No, but someone might be able to use some kind of device to generate an electrical charge. Have you ever heard of such a technique, Genma?"

The panda held up a sign that had "No" written on it and flipped it around to reveal the word "Why?"

"That martial arts figure skater, Azusa Shiratori, tried to steal some kind of hair ornament that resembled a tiara from a new student, and was knocked out by what looked like an electric current surrounding her," Akane replied.

"Could it have been a taser like the police use sometimes?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't think so," Akane responded. "Aeka Masaki, one of the new students, had her back to Azusa while the other new student, Ryoko Hakubi, was holding her. Azusa got away from Ryoko and tried to grab Aeka's tiara thing when she was shocked and thrown at least ten feet. Aeka didn't even move a muscle."

"Yeah? Did you ask her how she did it?" Ranma inquired between mouthfuls.

"I tried to but they hurried off with Tenchi Masaki," Akane told him. "And she called that tiara thing of hers a key."

"A key to what?" Nabiki asked. "Maybe there's a treasure hidden somewhere in Nerima that they're looking for and that tiara is the key that unlocks the secret door."

"You've been watching too many dumb movies," Ranma said. "I would like to know how she knocked out Azusa though."

"You might get a chance to ask her tomorrow then; she and Ryoko want to be cheerleaders for the kendo team," Akane told him.

"I don't need them to be cheerleaders. I can do it all by myself," Ranma said.

"Oh yeah? While you were handling things all by yourself last time, I was defeating Furinkan's team," Akane replied.

"Well that just shows how bad those guys are," Ranma retorted.

"What do you mean by that!" Akane exclaimed.

"Just that if you could beat them, they must not be any good," Ranma answered.

"I would have beaten Kuno too if Mariko Konjou hadn't interfered," Akane said.

"Well I can beat Kuno easily even without a sword," Ranma replied.

"Oh? The first time you fought him, he managed to tag you with his boken. He came pretty close to killing you," Akane replied.

This statement was met with a startled gasp from Ranma's mother who dropped her chopsticks to the floor and then said in a shaky voice, "Is that true Ranma? Could you have died without me ever getting to see you again?"

"Akane's exaggerating things. I was making a fool out of Kuno and all I got out of that fight was a bruise," Ranma told her.

"On your neck," Akane added. "You were lucky to get away with just a bruise."

At that Nodoka started to cry and Akane said, "I'm sorry, Auntie. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Yeah, Mom," Ranma added. "That fight was nothing. I've survived things that were a lot worse than that. Saffron and Herb were a lot tougher to beat than Kuno."

"Oh, Ranma! When I let your father take you away on that training trip, I had no idea that you might ever be in any real danger," Nodoka told her son.

Genma grabbed a kettle of hot water for a quick transformation and said, "You knew that the life of a martial artist is dangerous. That's why I trained him as I did; to make sure that Ranma was the best that he could be so that he could deal with any threat and survive."

"And it was worth it, Mom. You wanted a son who was a man among men and that's what I am," Ranma told her.

At that, Nabiki, who had excused herself from the table, 'accidentally' spilled her cooled tea on Ranma, changing him into a girl, and said, "Oops, now you look like a girl among men."

* * *

When it was time to meet Washu in her lab, Tenchi, Aeka and Ryoko went upstairs and through the closet door to find themselves with Sasami, Mihoshi bound with Washu's special tape, Ryo-oki and Noike in a dimly lit area. Although they were surrounded by darkness, he got the impression that they were in an enormous structure. Washu stood before them, in a cone of light, with a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you for coming to see the unveiling of one of the most advanced space ships ever constructed, Washu said. It's almost as powerful as a second generation royal tree. I had originally thought I would test it myself but, as it turns out, the perfect opportunity to find out just what this ship can do has appeared in the person of Seina Yamada. Now without further ado, I present to you this marvel of technology." There was a rousing fanfare and fireworks; and the area in front of them was bathed in light and there hovering before them was the biggest THING that Tenchi had ever seen. "Well, what do you think?"

After a few moments, Ryoko flew up and began looking at the construction from various angles. Then she teleported back to Tenchi's side. "That's got to be the ugliest spaceship I've ever seen. It looks like it was made from the parts that were discarded when the real ship was built," Ryoko said. "What did you do; salvage a bunch of parts from old wrecks, drop them in a pile and glue them together?"

"It's a radical new design that incorporates cutting edge technology," Washu responded. "But I wouldn't expect you to appreciate it. What do you think of it, Tenchi-dono?"

Tenchi had been staring in amazement at the ship that looked more like a piece of abstract sculpture to him It seemed to be largely constructed of numerous slabs and arcs that were connected at various points. He turned to Washu and said, "I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like it." He pointed to a large, brown, rectangular part with a red sphere in it and continued, "That looks a little like Ryo-oki's bridge section but I can't even tell where the propulsion units are."

At that Washu went into a long explanation of various design features that went completely over the heads of her audience and finally said, "Now I'll show you what's inside. Noike-dono, you're in charge of making sure Mihoshi-dono doesn't touch anything."

"Really, Washu-sama, don't you think that's unnecessary?" Noike asked. "What harm could she cause when she's all tied up?"

"If there's one thing I've learned over the past year, it's that nothing is ever completely safe around the bubble-head," Washu told her. "If anything can go wrong, Mihoshi will see that it does."

"I don't cause trouble all the time, Washu-chan," Mihoshi protested.

"No, just most of the time," Washu replied. "Now let's get going."

The group was instantly transported to a room which was only slightly, less strange than the exterior had been. They were standing on the lower of two levels and Tenchi noticed what appeared to be rocks sticking up through the lavender colored floor. The upper section of the floor was a marbled red and black. The lower sections of the five walls were dark blue and gold textured above, and slanted inwards towards a green ceiling.

After looking around for a bit Ryoko said in Tenchi's ear, "The guy she got to do the interior decorating must have been color blind." Although Tenchi agreed with her he said nothing and simply walked around looking at everything.

The lower section was dominated by a floating platform with five large crystals hovering above it and floating around it were five large, comfortable, looking seats. Screens popped up showing various scenes of the interior, and while Sasami, Noike and Mihoshi were occupied looking from one to the other, Tenchi walked towards the central platform with the others following him.

He gazed at a brown object under a transparent dome and said, "That looks like Ryo-oki's egg."

"She's the main computer and power generator. I hope there will be enough time for her to grow up, but with all the trouble Seina Yamada is attracting, she may be needed before she's mature," Washu replied. "She's already programed with all the information she needs to defend herself and just needs a few more weeks to develop fully." Then she put her hand on the dome and smiled sadly at the egg. "She'll be all right."

"Oh wow!" Sasami suddenly exclaimed. "This ship even has it's own beach. Can we go there?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Washu replied. "It's getting late, but I have one more thing to show you."

They were immediately back where they started. Washu was grinning widey as heraldic music played. Then the lights came on again to reveal what looked like an elegant, Juraian battleship. The curved lines of the wooden, exterior cradled a red and blue core unit. It resembled more than anything, a white crane in flight. Suddenly there was an excited meowing and Tenchi's cat, Chibi, jumped up and phased into the ship.

* * *

Author's notes:

When I watched some scenes from GXP again, I noticed just how much larger than a royal tree's core unit it was.

In the next chapter, there will be a tour of the new ship. Nabiki will try to dig up some information on Aeka and Ryoko and there will be more about martial arts cheerleading.

Here's a brief history of the Tsnyrtartek: Many thousands of years ago as galactic civilization was being reestablished after the fall of the precursor civilization, groups of Tsnyrtartek were found living among humans on a number of worlds scattered throughout the galactic arm. The worlds on which they were found also contained numerous precursor artifacts. This plus the effect they had on computers led many to theorize that they were used or even developed as weapons by the ancients. As the use of computers grew on the worlds where they were first found, they requested that they be relocated to other words without such technology. Fortunately, tree ships were unaffected by the Tsnyrtartek and could be used to transport them. Although strange looking, they have managed to pass for human.

I don't plan for them to be in the story much; I just used Tenchi's teacher to get Ryoko into cooking class. I also wanted more Nerima style silliness in my story. Ranma ½ has some really strange looking minor characters in it.

No one ever seems to get into trouble for fighting, damaging school property, or causing destruction elsewhere in Nerima although there are signs posted like, "Please don't crash through this wall," and "Don't break this pole." The staff seems much more concerned about tardiness.

I have an easier time thinking up dialog for Ryoko than Aeka unless it's trading insults. That makes it more difficult to give Aeka the time she deserves.

Thanks for the reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

Tenchi Goes to Nerima

Chapter VII

I still don't own either the Tenchi Muyo characters or the Ranma ½ characters.

Chibi had just phased into the new ship and before anyone could react, they found themselves standing by a familiar looking lake. The only indication that they weren't outside Tenchi's home on Earth was the fact that above them could be seen not the usual evening sky with clouds, and stars starting to appear, but the Earth itself , half shadowed, with bright lights indicating major population centers on numerous islands in the dark half. Other than that, the section they were in looked exactly like their home in Okayama, house included. Washu laughed excitedly and then said, "Isn't it great? It looks just like home; doesn't it?"

Tenchi looked around in amazement and exclaimed, "This is inside a ship?! It's incredible. How big is it?"

"Well, actually it's one of a number of habitats in subspace. This particular section is twenty-five point three kilometers in diameter. The "sky" is a holographic projection that currently shows what we would see from the main ship. This area replicates the terrain back home but with only a few other buildings and roads. It even has many of the same plants and animals; it's a complete ecosystem; without those pesky mosquitoes, ticks and such," Washu said proudly.

Aeka had been looking around with a puzzled frown and finally said, "This ship looks like a tree ship but it isn't. Why?"

"Because people will expect Tenchi, as a member of Jurai's royal family, to have his own ship, of course," Washu replied.

"But anyone partnered with a royal tree will be able to tell that it's not, won't they?" Aeka persisted.

Washu grinned widely and said, "The royal trees know how to keep a secret. And remember, one reason that Ryoko had such an easy time of it when she first attacked Jurai was that Ryo-oki felt like a royal tree herself to the Juraian ships which caused them to hesitate in attacking her. The only ones besides ourselves who know that this isn't a normal tree ship are Azusa-dono, Funaho-dono, Misaki-dono, and Seto-dono. Everyone else will think that this is a first-generation, tree ship. I am such a genius!"

"Is Chibi the main computer, like Ryo-oki?" Tenchi asked then. "Where is she?"

"She's inside the house," Washu told him as she walked towards it.

The others followed her inside and there sitting on a couch was Chibi, who somehow managed to look very pleased with herself. After looking around a bit and commenting on how well it replicated the interior of Tenchi's house on Earth, they all sat down and made themselves comfortable.

"As you all know, Ryo-oki gets her power from Ryoko's gem, and the royal trees get their power from Tsunami. But Chibi and this ship get their power from Tenchi," Washu told the group.

"Well she'd better not turn into a human-type," Ryoko grumbled.

"Do I have a link with her like the link Ryoko has with Ryo-oki?" Tenchi asked. "I haven't sensed anything from her."

"Mama told me not to say anything," he suddenly heard a soft voice in his mind say as Chibi jumped up onto his lap.

"I'm in trouble," Tenchi thought. "Um, can you read my mind?"

"Yes," was the amused reply he received. "You think a lot about Ryoko and Aeka and Mama and the others too."

At that Tenchi face turned a bright shade of red and he said, "Oh no."

"What's wrong?" a number of voices asked.

"Washu, is there any way I can keep Chibi from reading my mind? There are some things I'd like to keep private," Tenchi said.

"You've been having some kinky thoughts about us, haven't you?" She responded and laughed at his discomfort.

At that Tenchi became even more red and he stammered, "P-p-please, Washu, it's not funny. I don't want you or anyone else reading my mind without my permission."

"Look," Washu told him. "I haven't been using Chibi to spy on you, alright?. She's too young to understand most of your thoughts and it's up to you to learn how to control your link with her if you want to ensure your privacy."

"Now," she continued as several screens appeared showing interior views of the ship, "This ship is currently as powerful as a first generation tree ship because Chibi, who acts as an interface between it and Tenchi-dono, is limited as to how much power she can draw from him. To anyone who attempts to scan it, it will register the same as a Juraian tree ship. I've got to tell you, Seto-dono, Funaho-dono and Misaki-dono practically drove me crazy with their scrutiny of even the smallest detail to make sure that no one would be able to realize that there was anything different about this ship."

"But why is that important?" Tenchi asked.

"So people won't find out that you don't need a royal tree, of course," Washu replied. "The political and religious uproar that would occur if the truth came out could even lead to war. You have no idea of the upheaval you've already caused in the Juraian Empire. Seto-dono had to fabricate a story that Tsunami herself gave you a first, generation, royal tree to explain how you stopped the Chobi-maru's cannon blast after certain details were leaked."

"I don't understand Washu-chan; what does religion have to do with any of this?" Tenchi asked.

"I don't want to take the time to explain that right now, so maybe you should ask your father or better yet, your grandmother," Washu told him. "Now this area we're in is just for family; there's another section that's for non-family visitors that looks like the main habitat section of your standard tree ship." At that a four, meter, square screen popped up showing a large, forested area dominated by a massive tree with a spreading canopy that Washu told them was two hundred and sixty-four meters tall. "This section has all the amenities that you'd expect to find aboard a tree ship. Does anyone want to take a bath in the mineral springs and drink a little sake as well?"

"I'm all for that!" Ryoko exclaimed as she grabbed Tenchi by the arm and dragged him to his feet. "Let's go!... How do we get there?"

Washu shook her head and said, "Chibi controls access to all parts of this ship. She'll take us there. Alright, Chibi, take us to the mineral springs."

They immediately found themselves on a wide, wooden platform high in the canopy of the massive tree. Ahead of them was a brown, wooden structure with two ornately, carved doors; one labeled "men" and the other "women." Tenchi turned and was awestruck by the magnificent Earth-lit view. It was still light enough to discern colors and it seemed as if the whole world was spread out before him. There were small forests, a river winding around green hills and several lakes. Far away towards the horizon, snow-capped mountains loomed. Then Washu pushed Tenchi towards the men's door and began to lead the others through the women's door.

"Washu-chan, will you untie me now?" Mihoshi asked as she followed behind the red-headed genius.

When he went through his door, Tenchi found himself in a brightly, lit room with shelves filled with towels, tubs, slippers, soaps, shampoos and everything else one might need for a luxurious bath. He quickly undressed, wrapped a white towel around his waist and gathered a selection of toiletries in a small tub. Then he walked through a door at the far end of the room marked "bath."

It was very warm and thick clouds of steam drifted around the area, making it difficult to see his surroundings clearly. What he could see looked very similar to the bathing area in Noike's ship but the floor seemed to be made of rough, stone tiles of light brown. Washu was waiting for him wearing a bright, green towel and said as she gestured to her right, "The area for you to wash up is over there and you don't have to use cold water if you don't want to. The women's area is on the other side."

"Thank you, Washu-chan," Tenchi said as he turned and walked that way with Chibi following close behind. He found the washing area almost immediately. He sat down on a long, low bench of dark brown wood, filled a basin with slightly, cool water and began to wash, taking his time to enjoy it. Without warning, he was hit from behind by a blond-haired locomotive named Mihoshi and she landed on top of him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tenchi! I must have taken a wrong turn," she said.

Tenchi who wasn't quite as clueless about girls as some might think had begun to suspect that Mihoshi didn't always topple into him by accident. He sighed, tried to avoid looking directly at Mihoshi's towel, clad bosom right in front of his face and said, "That's all right, Mihoshi-san, accidents happen. But you'd better get off of me and go to the women's area before you get us both into trouble."

Just then, Ryoko, completely nude, appeared looking for him. "Is that smoke or steam coming from her ears?" Tenchi had time to wonder before he was thrown thirty feet by a concussion wave.

"Stay away from MY Tenchi!" she shouted.

Tenchi pulled himself out of a pile of splintered wood and observed the destruction. There was a twelve foot hole in the floor, through which he could see green, leaved branches and there was another large hole in the wall he had been thrown through. "Where's Mihoshi-san?" he asked.

"I'm up here. Ow!" came the reply and Tenchi looked up to see her entangled in some branches.

Then Chibi pulled herself from a pile of wood and began hissing at Ryoko with her back arched and her fur standing on end.

"Calm down, Chibi," Tenchi told her. "This can be fixed, can't it?"

"Of course," Washu said as if it was obvious. "Chibi has the ability to repair any damage this ship suffers. Now, Chibi, stop hissing at your sister and get to work before someone falls through that hole she made. And you," she continued as she turned towards Ryoko, "Learn to control your temper or you won't be allowed to go to school with Tenchi anymore."

By this time the others had arrived, and Noike and Sasami assisted Mihoshi in her efforts to untangle herself from the tree's branches. Then they watched as a soft, pearly glow with bright sparkles enveloped the damaged areas and slowly faded leaving things looking as good as new.

Then Tenchi became aware that everyone was staring and in some cases leering at him and looked down to discover that he had lost his towel. "Excuse me," the red-faced boy squeaked as he scampered off to find a replacement.

When he returned, they all proceeded to the main pool. It was made of wood and forty-two meters across with curves to provide cozy seating for small groups or individuals, if desired. There were waterfalls and smaller pools both above and below their location. The whole area was surrounded by various small trees and other plants, some of which Tenchi recognized and others that were completely alien to him. Quite a few of the plants had glowing fruit on them that provided ample illumination as darkness spread over the Earth. They all climbed down a set of steps into the comfortably, warm water and sat down on benches built into the sides of the section they were in.

"This water has a high concentration of selenium right now, but the mineral content can be adjusted any way you desire," Washu told them. Then she opened a portal and removed several large tubs filled with small sake bottles, saucers, cups of tea and cocoa, which she proceeded to pass around. "There's something else you should know, Tenchi. From now on, you will be officially known as "Tenchi Masaki Jurai."

"But wouldn't I have to be partnered with an actual tree ship to have that title?" Tenchi asked.

"Would you like to try and explain to people why you don't have the title?" Washu asked in turn.

"Well, no," he replied.

"Then don't worry about it. Now what are you going to name this ship? Chibi's a cute name for a cat but not very suitable for a battle ship," Washu said.

Tenchi thought about it for a few moments and considered naming the ship Kiyone after his mother but his first impression when he saw it stuck in his mind so he smiled and said, "Mitsuru."

"That's a great name," Sasami immediately told him. "Do you like the name, Chibi-chan?"

Chibi, who had been lying on the edge of the pool, looked at Sasami and seemed to smile.

"I think she likes it," Sasami told Tenchi.

"Good," Tenchi replied. "You know, I still have a hard time believing that Ryo-oki and now Chibi can control such huge ships."

"Well they don't do it all by themselves you know," Washu replied. "There are one-hundred other crystals linked to Ryo-oki and their combined processing capability makes them one of the most powerful super-computers ever built. Chibi also has sub-systems that increase her computing power."

"I remember all those crystals and how they raided the storeroom for carrots. That was one strange day, Tenchi replied, shaking his head.

"What day was that, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked.

"That was the day you and Aeka started acting really weird; kicking me from behind, tripping me with a rope, pretending we had just met, watching me while hiding behind Azaka and Kamedaki. Washu tied me up in her lab for tests, and the next day Mihoshi crashed her shuttle and blew up the house," Tenchi replied, shaking his head some more.

"I remember," Aeka said and sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" Tenchi asked.

"Well, I had written you a note asking you to meet me at the shrine so we could have a private conversation and you never showed up," Aeka replied, disappointment evident in her tone.

"A note? I don't remember that," Tenchi told her.

"I guess that's what I get for asking Ryo-oki to deliver it for me," Aeka said.

"Oh! Now I remember," Tenchi told her as realization dawned. "I'm sorry, Aeka, I was going to meet you but then the Ryo-okis stole all the carrots and I forgot about it."

"Way to go, Ryo-okis!" Ryoko exclaimed and laughed heartily.

Right then, Ryo-oki started meowing excitedly and Ryoko added, "Ryo-oki says that you never gave her the carrots you promised her for delivering the note."

Aeka just sighed and sank lower into the water as Ryoko laughed even louder.

Everone relaxed in silence for a while and then Noike asked, "Where's the bridge on this ship?"

"Well," Washu said, "it doesn't really need a central control area so wherever Tenchi and Chibi are could be considered the bridge."

"What if someone wants to see the royal tree I'm supposed to have?" Tenchi asked.

That question was met by laughter from several of the girls and Aeka told him, "People only meet a royal tree if they're invited to; it would be considered very bad manners to ask."

"I guess I still have a lot to learn about protocol and such," Tenchi said.

Then Aeka glanced at Sasami who was nodding her head sleepily and said as she stood, "Well, I guess I had better get Sasami to bed or she'll be falling asleep in school tomorrow."

"I guess you're right," Washu agreed as she stood as well. Then everyone got out of the bath and after they changed into comfortable robes, Washu summoned a door which took them back to the house in Okayama.

Aeka quickly led Sasami and Ryo-oki upstairs to get them ready for bed. Once she returned, Washu said, "I guess now would be a good time to show you a little of what I've learned about martial arts cheerleading. Now, a martial arts cheerleader must love and encourage the person she's cheering for and have a complete mastery of all fighting techniques and sports. Let me show you a judo competition Seisyun was involved in."

At that a large screen appeared displaying the carnage that took place. The Seisyun cheerleaders knocked out opposing fighters using batons, kicks and dumbbells concealed in pompoms while enthusiastically cheering on the Seisyun team. Even when a member of their team had been knocked out, strings were attached to him and he was manipulated like a marionette to continue his match. When the competition was over, the Seisyun team was carried off the field on the shoulders of their cheerleaders while the opposing teams were carried off on stretchers.

When the screen disappeared, there were a few moments of stunned silence before Aeka exclaimed, "I've never seen such brutality, even from Ryoko! Those girls are vicious!"

"I've got to admit, when Akane-san told me about them, I didn't really believe her, but those girls are just the way she described them. That Mariko has to be very strong and very skilled at judo herself to have used that boy like a puppet the way she did," Tenchi said.

"Big deal. I could do that stuff and much better too," Ryoko insisted.

"Yes, but those girls are ordinary Earthlings without any enhancements. Mariko-kun must have started her training as soon as she could walk to be as good as she is," Washu responded.

"Well, I can certainly see why Ranma had such a difficult time against her. It must have been some fight," Tenchi said. "Aeka and Ryoko will need a few tricks of their own to deal with them without revealing that they're aliens."

"Really Tenchi-sama," Aeka chided him, "even though I've undergone enhancement, I still trained very hard and from a very early age. Plus, the people I trained against also had enhancements and were very powerful and very skilled, like my mother. I also learned that power without skill or the intelligence to use it wisely is worse than useless. I know how to use my abilities and how to hold back so that no one will know that I'm not a normal Earthling."

"HA!" Ryoko exclaimed. "You haven't held back in your fights with me!"

"As a matter of fact, I have," the princess replied.

Ryoko snorted and then said, "Yeah, right."

"Aeka-dono is right, Ryoko-chan. She's been holding back just like you. Neither one of you really wanted to hurt the other too badly. And I think you could both hold back enough against those cheerleaders. Even so, it would probably be best if you concentrated on stopping their attacks rather than fighting them directly. Tenchi and his teammates are the best in the tournament. They don't need you to win their matches for them," Washu told them. "All you need to do is keep those girls from interfering with the matches while encouraging Tenchi's team. Practice using the batons and pom-poms and try to come up with a few good cheers." Then she gave Aeka a book titled, "Martial Arts Cheerleading for Beginners."

"Akane-san told me that Ranma used his batons to deflect Mariko's, so maybe you should practice blocking each other's batons," Tenchi added.

"Good idea," Washu said. "Well, I've got a lot to do tomorrow so I think I'll call it a night. Then she headed for the door under the stairs.

"Good night, Washu-chan, I think that I should be going as well," Tenchi said as he got up, stretched and started to follow her to her lab.

"Well if you want to get back to Nerima, teleport," Washu said and closed the door just before Tenchi reached it.

* * *

The next morning, Tenchi got up and dressed early and then went downstairs where he found his father eating.

"Good morning, Tenchi; do you have to get to school early today?" Nobuyuki inquired.

"Actually, I wanted to talk with you for a while," the boy responded. "We've both been busy and haven't spent much time together, just talking, since the first weekend here."

"That's surprising," his father told him. "Most boys your age would rather spend time with others their own age than their fathers these days."

"I want to talk about things that I can't discuss with my classmates and that the girls wouldn't understand," Tenchi told him.

Just then Rea came in with a tray and two bowls of soup and some fish which she put in front of Tenchi and said as she sat down, "So, you want to talk with your father man to man; is that it?"

"Sort of," Tenchi replied as he started to eat, "plus I'd like to know if you'll be able to come to the kendo tournament that's coming up, he said to his father."

"I don't know if I can make it," Nobuyuki replied. "I'm still working on the revisions to the blueprints and I'm under a lot of pressure to get them finished in time to make the original date for construction to start. Besides, I already know that your team is going to win."

"Look, Dad, for most of my life, you've been too busy with one project after another to be involved in any of my activities. And now Rea-san's just about as busy as you. What's going to happen when the baby comes?" Tenchi responded.

"I haven't undertaken any new projects, so once things with my current projects are well under way, we'll be taking a long vacation," Nobuyuki replied. "And since it means so much to you, I'll do my best to make it to your tournament. If that puts us behind schedule, then so be it."

"Thanks, Dad, and I'd like you to come as well, Rea-san," he added.

"I'll be there," she replied. "By the way, what army did you feed last night? I had a hard time finding enough food for a decent breakfast and your lunch."

"Aeka and Ryoko are in my class now and they came home with me to study. I'm sorry we didn't leave much for today," Tenchi told her.

"Oh, they did, did they!" Nobuyuki exclaimed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised after the way they got upset when they found out about all the pretty girls you've met here."

"Since there isn't enough food left in the house, why don't you take them both out for supper after school?" Rea asked. "And then you can do some grocery shopping for me on your way home."

"Sure," Tenchi replied. "So, Dad, where are you planning to go on your long vacation?"

"Someplace quiet and peaceful, if there is such a place in this galaxy," his father told him. "Now tell me how your day went yesterday."

Tenchi began telling them what happened and when he got to the part about Ryoko taking cooking class his father said, "I hope she doesn't destroy the school while learning to cook. I just don't understand how she and Aeka can be such disasters in the kitchen. Oh well, what happened next?"

Tenchi continued his narrative, interrupted by occasional comments from his father or Rea and after telling them about his bet with Ryoko, he asked her, "Will you show me the recipe you use? I want to practice a bit before the weekend."

"I'll have to write it down for you," she replied as she got up to clear the table. "The first thing you have to do is wipe the kombu with a damp cloth to get rid of the msg..."

* * *

The morning started off as usual for Ranma. He engaged in a strenuous sparing match with his father which resulted in both of them getting dunked in the Tendos' koi pond numerous times. When it was over, they joined Ranma's mother and the Tendo family for breakfast. Father and son continued their training by trying to steal food from each others plates and stuffing their faces as quickly as possible.

"Come on, Ranma, hurry up and get dressed for school." Akane said to him as she got up after finishing her food. "If we don't hurry, we'll be late and wind up standing in the hallway with buckets again."

"What's the hurry?" he asked around a mouthful of rice and fish . "We've got plenty of time."

"Because something often goes wrong and I don't want to stand in the hallway anymore," she countered.

The boy shrugged his shoulders, gulped down the rest of his food, and followed Akane up the stairs to get ready. When finished, they said their goodbyes and set off at a brisk pace. They were still several blocks from Furinkan High when a boy about Ranma's age jumped from a tree and attacked him.

"Oh no!" Akane groaned. "This is the third time this month someone dressed like a cat has tried to fight you. We're going to be late again."

"You go on ahead," Ranma told her as he sidestepped a kick then grabbed the other boy's leg and toppled him. "It won't take me more than a couple of minutes to beat this loser. And he's the fourth jerk in a cat suit to attack me this month."

"Alright, I'll tell Hinako-sensei what happened; she might decide to be lenient this time," Akane told him as she set off again.

Ranma's opponent lunged at him again with arms swinging and his target easily sidestepped and tripped him with an outstretched foot.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ranma taunted as he evaded attack after attack. "I've seen old ladies in wheelchairs move faster than you. You probably couldn't hit me even if I was standing still. Is dressing up like a cat supposed to scare me? That's a really shabby costume, you know. I might enjoy dancing around with you if you had any skill but you're just wasting my time." With that Ranma delivered an uppercut which sent the young man flying and ran towards the school. The last bell was ringing and Principal Kuno had just shut the gate so Ranma jumped over the wall and landed on the principal's head, knocking him unconscious without seeming to notice it. Then he raced across the yard, jumped for an open window in his classroom and got inside just as the bell finished ringing.

"That is not the way you're supposed to enter the classroom," Hinako-sensei told him sternly. "I'll excuse you this time since Tendo-kun told me that you were attacked by a delinquent, but if you do it again, I'll see to it that you get assigned to clean toilets for a month."

* * *

A special assembly was called shortly after the first class started and all the students filled the auditorium. Principal Kuno, a darkly tanned man with dark, wavy hair topped with a tiny palm tree and wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt, stood on the stage looking like he was trying to frown and failing. "All right keiki," he shouted, "Dis' is da' big kahuna talkin'. One o' you delinquents attacked me dis' mornin' while tryin' to get onto school grounds after da' gate was shut, showin' a major disregard for da' rules. It's time ta' start takin' serious action to enforce da' rules includin' da' dress code. Da' followin' students, Ryoko Hakubi, Aeka Masaki, Tenchi Masaki, and Ranma Saotome, are violatin' da' rules and will now be required to get their hair fixed." At that he pulled out a large pair of scissors. "Come on up here now and we'll take care of it."

"NO WAY!" Ryoko shouted as she stood. "I'm not going to let you cut my hair or Tenchi's!"

"If you don' get your hair fixed, you'll be expelled," The principal said gleefully as he snipped at the air with his shears.

At that Washu walked onto the stage, smiled and said, "I'm sorry, but my daughter would look ridiculous with short hair. It would be sticking out all over the place."

"If you're bein' insubordinate to da' principal, you're gonna' be fired!" the deranged barber said angrily.

At that Washu produced a large mallet and flattened him. Then she pulled out her cell phone and made a quick call. "Hello, Jurai Express Delivery Service?.. This is Washu Hakubi. I need a large crate suitable for shipping an animal about the size of a brown bear by air delivered to the Furinkan High School auditorium ASAP... You'll be here in three minutes? Thank you, bye." Then she turned to the students and said, "I think it would be a good idea for the principal to go on a little vacation; any suggestions?"

"Timbuktu!"

"Outer Mongolia!"

"The Sahara Dessert!"

"The Amazon Jungle!"

"The top of Mount Everest!"

"The South Pole!"

"France!"

"Those are all excellent suggestions, but I think that he should be sent someplace that he won't be in too much of a hurry to get back from," Washu replied. "So I'm going to send him to the Kapapala Forest Reserve on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hopefully, it will take him months to get back to civilization. Who knows? He might like it so much there that he'll decide to stay."

Just then two average looking men wearing dark gray coveralls came onto the stage carrying a large crate. They picked up the still unconscious principal, put him inside it and closed the lid after Washu dropped in a few pineapples and coconuts. Then they took a shipping label from her, bowed, affixed the label to the crate, picked it up and left while the students cheered.

The rest of the day passed without any major problems. In fact the atmosphere of the school was very relaxed; especially after the celebration in the teachers' room during lunch. It seems that someone had provided a large supply of sake and the teachers were feeling very indulgent towards the students.

They were allowed to do as they pleased during gym classes. Aeka and Ryoko practiced some martial arts cheerleading techniques while their classmates watched. Tenchi practiced some of the sword techniques he had seen Kuno using with Ranma.

Aeka was getting changed, after gym class, when she was approached by Akane who asked, "How did you knock out Azusa yesterday?"

"I'm sorry," Aeka replied, "but that's a special technique of my family that I'm not allowed to tell others about."

"Do you think you'll be using it during the kendo tournament?" Akane persisted.

"Probably not," Aeka told her. "Ryoko-san and I are just going to concentrate on keeping the Seisyun cheerleaders from attacking our team members."

"Why did you call that hair ornament of yours a key?" Akane asked again.

"Why are you asking so many questions?" Aeka countered as she finished getting dressed. "It's really none of your business."

"I'm just curious, that's all," Akane replied. "I've never seen anyone knock someone out the way you did, and I've seen a lot of special techniques."

"Curiosity about things that don't concern you can get you into a lot of trouble. Ryoko-san and I... Where is Ryoko-san?" Aeka asked as she looked about and frowned.

"She left right after class was over," another girl replied. "She didn't even bother to change."

"That shameless woman! She must have gone to harass Tenchi-sama," Aeka declared as she headed for the door.

* * *

Meanwhile Tenchi had just finished a quick shower and wrapped a towel around himself when Ryoko came into the boys' locker room and called, "Tenchi, do you want me to wash your back for you?"

Most of Tenchi's classmates screamed and hurriedly grabbed up towels to cover themselves, but Ranma just stood there and watched what was happening. Ryoko's face darkened as she spied him naked and in female form in front of Tenchi. "What's this girl doing in here!" she demanded as she grabbed him by the neck.

"That's Ranma, the boy I told you about who has a curse that turns him into a girl," Tenchi told her.

"You didn't tell me that she paraded around in front of you without any clothes on." Then she tossed Ranma out the door while asking him, "What are you some kind of exhibitionist?"

Ranma quickly picked himself up, ran back in and shouted, "Wha'd you do that for?!"

"The only girl I want Tenchi to see naked is me," she told Ranma as she tossed him out the door again with greater force than before and threw a pile of clothes out after him. "So put some clothes on, got it?"

"What are you doing here, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked her.

"I just wanted to see if you wanted me to wash your back for you and to show you how good I look in my gym uniform. It really shows off my figure; don't you think?" she replied as she posed.

Tenchi knew that if he told Ryoko how good she looked and commented on how well the shorts showed off her long, slender legs and shapely bottom, she was apt to become so excited that he'd wind up in a wrestling match with her, so he just said, "If Aeka finds out that you came in here, there's going to be trouble. Please go back to the girls' locker room."

Just then a loud voice shouted, "What are YOU doing in here?!"

All heads turned towards the door at the sound to see Washu striding through it with an angry frown on her face. "What did I tell you about controlling your temper?" she demanded as she glanced at a disheveled, cloathed Ranma who had followed her.

"Hey, she's still breathing, isn't she?" Ryoko replied.

Suddenly, Washu grabbed her daughter by the ear and dragged her from the room saying, "I think we need to have a little talk about what controlling your temper actually means. Tenchi-kun, take charge of the class for me. The cleaning assignments are the same as yesterday's."

"Hey, cut it out Washu; you're stretching my ear!" Ryoko complained as she was pulled along. And indeed, it did look like Ryoko's ear was getting quite long.

Tenchi dressed quickly and left before his startled classmates could ask him any questions.

Aeka arrived as Ryoko was being pulled along and said softly to herself, "Oh well, I suppose I should let Washu deal with her." Then she turned around and headed for her home room.

* * *

Author's notes:

It took a while to get this chapter to the point where I wanted it to end, and there are some things I'd like to point out.

I've read a number of stories in which Tenchi's house or a duplicate of it was carried aboard a tree ship; "In the Middle" by Gamma for example, but after watching TMGXP, I thought why not duplicate the whole area? Now that's taking a trip and having all the comforts of home!

Minoshi is an anomaly capable of unintentionally doing extraordinary things like finding her way into secure sections of Washu's lab without detection. How it is that she hasn't spilled the beans about Tenchi and his abilities is another mystery. Washu could have a program set up to censor her transmissions, or maybe she's not as much of a bubble head as she seems.

Martial arts in Ranma's Nerima don't go by the normal rules. It's acceptable to chain a small pig to an opponents wrist in martial arts rhythmic gymnastics in order to handicap her and it's acceptable to use that pig as a weapon. It's also acceptable to knock out your opponent in a kendo match.

Nabiki has been selling information about Ranma, his techniques and weaknesses; including his fear of cats. Many have gotten the idea that trying to look like cats would scare him into defeat.

The tallest tree in the United States, and maybe the world, is the Howard Libby redwood in the Redwood National Park; it's about 370 feet tall. The giant trees of Jurai are even taller and the tree containing the royal palace of Jurai is the largest tree in the universe.

Finally, pretty much everyone hates Principal Kuno. It's unlikely that anyone would report him missing.

Thanks for the reviews.


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